Iran's newly installed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has ordered the country's armed forces to 'continue decisive operations' and confront adversaries, according to reports from Iranian state broadcaster IRIB and corroborated by international outlets. During a meeting with Major General Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Khamenei praised the military's readiness while issuing fresh guidance amid ongoing skirmishes with US and Israeli forces. This development comes weeks after US-Israeli strikes that reportedly killed his father, Ali Khamenei, and left the younger Khamenei with injuries, sparking earlier rumors of coma or flight to Russia—claims now refuted by Iranian officials who describe him as recovering and actively shaping strategy.

CNN, citing US intelligence, reports that Mojtaba Khamenei is playing a 'critical role in shaping war strategy' alongside senior officials, even if day-to-day operations are increasingly managed by IRGC commanders and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. This follows Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's recent meeting with the leader and Tehran's response to a US ceasefire proposal, delivered via Pakistan. However, Washington’s alleged violations—including port blockades, coastal bombings, and vessel attacks—have prompted Iranian retaliation against US assets in the Strait of Hormuz, with parliamentarians declaring that 'restraint has come to an end.'

The editorial lens reveals deeper implications often overlooked in mainstream coverage: this is not mere retaliation but a calculated signal in an increasingly multipolar landscape. Control of the Strait of Hormuz, which handles roughly one-fifth of global oil trade, positions Iran to disrupt supplies critical to Western economies already strained by inflation and energy transitions. Iran's deepening ties with Russia (for air defense systems) and China (via Belt and Road energy deals) expose the limits of US power projection, accelerating shifts toward BRICS-aligned alternatives and de-dollarization. What others miss is the philosophical undercurrent—Khamenei's order embodies 'resistance economy' doctrine as ideological warfare, testing whether Western alliances can sustain prolonged high-intensity conflict without fracturing domestic support or exposing overreliance on vulnerable maritime chokepoints. Should skirmishes intensify, ripple effects could include oil price spikes exceeding $150 per barrel, supply chain collapses, and a hastened erosion of unipolar hegemony.