Khamenei's Advisor: Changes in Saudi Military Commanders Aim to Facilitate Mohammed bin Salman's Ascendancy

Iran has assessed the changes at the top of Saudi Arabia's military leadership as an effort to pave the way for Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of the country, to ascend to the throne. Hossein Dehghan, advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic and former Minister of Defense of Iran, stated on Tuesday, March 8, that 'Currently, there is an effort in Saudi Arabia to unify the governance to create the conditions for Mohammed bin Salman to ascend to the throne. In this context, anyone who is perceived to be disloyal to the current Saudi regime or inclined towards other princes is being sidelined.' King Salman on Monday changed the Chief of Staff of the Army and the commanders of the Ground and Air Forces of Saudi Arabia, an event that occurs amid the military battle between Riyadh and its allies against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Therefore, the Saudi king's decision attracts more attention and raises speculation about the continuation of Riyadh's military policies. However, Hossein Dehghan considers the issue merely as internal competition in Saudi Arabia for power and states, 'These changes do not signify a change in Saudi military policies since lower-level commanders in Saudi Arabia are not military policymakers; rather, military policies are determined by the higher levels of command and the monarchy in this country.' Mohammed bin Salman has taken a hard stance against the Islamic Republic to the extent that Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Iranian government, has referred to him as a 'new Hitler' emerging in the Middle East. The two countries have fundamental disagreements over major Middle Eastern issues, one of the most significant being the civil war in Yemen, where Iran supports the Houthi rebels, and Saudi Arabia supports the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, which is recognized by the United Nations. Mr. Dehghan emphasizes that the dismissal of senior military commanders in Saudi Arabia will not affect the course of the Yemen war. He stated, 'Given that the Saudi rulers have not yet understood from the battle in Yemen that they have not even achieved the slightest of their goals, changes in the military commanders of this country will not affect their decisions, as the Yemeni people have decided to continue their existence and expel the aggressors from their land and are not willing to accept Saudi domination.' Hossein Dehghan also implicitly rejected the accusations against Tehran regarding the missiles fired by the Houthis at Saudi Arabia, stating, 'The Yemenis have extensive capabilities from the era of Abdullah Saleh, which they have been able to modify and enhance the efficiency of these equipment and facilities.' Saudi Arabia and the United States claim that Iran supplies the Houthis with missiles. U.S. officials have displayed one of the missiles fired into Saudi territory, claiming that it bears Iranian markings. However, Tehran has denied such accusations.