On i24, Zineb Riboua argues that the IRGC’s chain of command has fractured, which explains the regime’s increasingly sporadic and disjointed response to the war. She adds that Iran has effectively lost its ability to leverage the “Resistance Axis” as a strategic asset, as it continues to target its neighbors, which is shaping both regional security dynamics and the messaging of Gulf states.
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An oil tanker is being unloaded with imported crude oil at the Qingdao Port Oil Terminal in Shandong Province, China on April 7, 2026. (Getty Images)