If I were the Commander-in-Chief of the Army

Current holder: Amir Hatami, since 14 Jun 2025 (source)

AI analysis, not newsFirst edition, before review

What this office can decide

Guarding the country's independence and territorial integrity (Article 143).
Air defence and the Army's ground, air and naval forces.
Helping with relief and rebuilding in a crisis.

What is not in its hands

War and peace are the Leader's decision, and the General Staff coordinates the forces.

The decision and what follows

From the question to the outcome, step by step

On the desk

On 7 April eight bridges and stretches of railway and road were hit in five cities. Every closed bridge means food, fuel and medicine arriving late.

My decision

I would send engineering units to reopen roads and build temporary bridges, and place air defence first around the sites daily life depends on.

1Temporary bridges and alternative routes where lines were cut.
2A unit on standby for relief after each strike.
3Air-defence priority: power, water, fuel and hospitals.

Ifs and buts

If routes are struck againtemporary bridges and alternative routes prevent a full cut.helps

If a ceasefire comesthe same units carry the rebuilding forward.helps

The upside

Routes for food and medicine reopen sooner.
People see the military working for them directly.

The downside

A unit that is rebuilding a road is not somewhere else at that hour.
Air defence around cities means less around bases.

What would change my mind

If the ground threat at the borders rises: then the units must return to the border.

Divan's three goals

What this decision does for Divan's three goals

Each column shows whether the decision brings Iran closer to that goal or takes it further away. The middle line is today.

AI analysis, not newsAI estimate: direction only, not a figure

Iran stays whole

closer, perhaps much closer

Guarding territorial integrity is the Army's task (Article 143). A road that stays open keeps the provinces joined.

A stronger Iran

closer

Food, fuel and medicine arrive sooner.

First power of the region

No direct effect

No direct effect.

The facts this analysis rests on

Every figure with its source and date

Start of the war

Official document

28 Feb 2026

The day the United States and Israel began the new round of strikes on Iran. The count of war days starts here.

28 Feb 2026 · Source: IAEA Board report GOV/2026/50, para. 13

7 Apr 2026 · Tehran, Karaj, Tabriz, Kashan and QomStrikes on eight bridges and rail and road sectionsat least 2 killed and 3 wounded in the strike on the Yahyaabad bridge in Kashan (IRNA)2 Apr 2026 · Karaj (B1 bridge)Air strike on a bridge under construction8 killed, 95 wounded (Alborz deputy governor; AFP could not verify independently)

Other seats in this group

All seats →

If I were in this seatChief of the General Staff of the Armed ForcesNow: Ali Abdollahi

I would put protecting people and vital infrastructure first: power, water, fuel and hospitals. And through a mediator I would ask for an emergency contact line, so an accident at sea does not become a new war.

See what follows →

If I were in this seatCommander-in-Chief of the IRGCNow: Ahmad Vahidi

While talks are on I would keep a declared restraint at sea: no action against any merchant ship, and saying so in public.