Iran’s top adviser network crippled : Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, has seen his key military and security advisers eliminated by Israeli airstrikes, severely weakening his inner leadership structure, according to five people familiar with his decision-making process. Those killed include major figures from the Revolutionary Guards—the elite military faction—including commander Hossein Salami, aerospace head Amir Ali Hajizadeh, and intelligence chief Mohammad Kazemi. The loss of these trusted lieutenants has significantly reduced the roughly 15–20-strong advisory group that surrounds Khamenei and advises on defence, clerical, and political affairs.

Strategic risks escalate amid growing isolation: Sources warn that this depletion of trusted military counsel heightens the risk of miscalculations in Iran’s defence posture and domestic stability. A regular attendee of Khamenei's advisory meetings described the situation as “extremely dangerous,” underscoring the challenges of making critical decisions without seasoned, loyal military voices. Khamenei—who values counsel despite his famously stubborn grip on power—is now increasingly reliant on less experienced figures like his son, Mojtaba, and other non-military confidants to fill the vacuum.

Power shift toward civilian and familial networks: With the removal of high-ranking Guards leaders, Khamenei has leaned more heavily on a broader network of advisers, including his son Mojtaba, deputy security official Ali Asghar Hejazi, and senior figures such as Mohammad Golpayegani, Ali Akbar Velayati, Kamal Kharazi, and Ali Larijani. Mojtaba Khamenei, in particular, has emerged as a central coordinator among disparate factions, leveraging his deep connections within the Guards. Meanwhile, Israel’s strikes—and related blows to Iran’s “Axis of Resistance,” including the deaths of Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah and the collapse of Assad in Syria—have left Khamenei increasingly isolated within a fracturing regional alliance.