Iranian Military Officers Leave Juniors to Fend for Themselves in Barracks: Report

Tel Aviv, Israel: Reports emerging from within Iran, particularly those cited by outlets such as Iran International, claimed that following the intense aerial campaign and the reported killing of senior military commanders and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, there is growing evidence of confusion and breakdown within the Iranian military's chain of command.

Some officers in the Iranian armed forces have abandoned their barracks, leaving behind the soldiers under their command to remain on guard duty, several conscripts told Iranian opposition outlet Iran International, as quoted by the Jerusalem Post.

The decimation of high-ranking political and military leadership has disrupted established command-and-control structures. The soldiers told Iran International that since the killing of former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday, the Iranian military has been gripped by confusion, as quoted by the Jerusalem Post.

Several soldiers stationed at a military base in Lorestan province told Iran International that they were uncertain about the command structure and were uneasy about the deteriorating security situation.

A soldier told Iran International that many commanders, fearing strikes, had abandoned their posts, leaving conscripted soldiers behind without support.

Some soldiers, also fearing American and Israeli strikes, have been spending nights in open areas outside of the base for fear of being hit in an airstrike, the soldier said, adding that leadership was not paying adequate attention to the needs of the regular troops, as per the report quoted by The Jerusalem Post.

One soldier told the outlet that many commanders had, fearing strikes, abandoned their posts, leaving conscripted soldiers to fend for themselves, as reported by The Jerusalem Post.

Amid these reports, US President Donald Trump, while delivering remarks to the Shield of Americas Summit said American strikes on Iran have significantly damaged the country's military capabilities, claiming its navy, air force and communications infrastructure have been heavily hit.

Trump said US forces had destroyed 42 Iranian naval vessels in recent days and knocked out much of the country's air power and telecommunications systems.

He said, "We're doing very well in Iran. We've knocked out 42 Navy ships, some of them very large, in three days. That was the end of the Navy. We knocked out their Air Force. We knocked out their communications, and all telecommunications is gone. I don't know how they communicate, but I guess they will figure something out. It's not working out too well. And they're bad people...This had to be done. They were very close to a nuclear weapon. They would have had one if we didn't do our B2 hit, Midnight Hammer. They would have had it eight months ago...So we did the world a favour."

He also said recent US strikes targeted facilities linked to Iran's nuclear programme, claiming Tehran had been close to obtaining a nuclear weapon before the attacks. Trump described the operation as a major success and said the strikes had dealt a decisive blow to Iran's military capabilities.

The US president is expected to travel later to Dover Air Force Base for the dignified transfer of six US service members who have been killed in the conflict so far, Al Jazeera reported.

Middle East Expert, Waiel Awwad, while talking on Russian President Vladimir Putin's call for immediate halt to US-Israel-Iran tension, said that the US' targets in war keep changing and are unclear.

"The problem is that the United States' objectives have not been declared clearly. What we have been hearing keeps changing. First, it was the nuclear issue, which served as a pretext for attack. Now they speak of regime change, together with Israel. Then it was ballistic missiles, and now they talk about Iranian technology," he said.

Awwad added, "So what exactly is their message? They are even moving towards supporting the secessionist movement in the region. What this really means is that the United States wants to drag the Arab countries, along with Israel, into a direct confrontation with Iran--something we cannot afford. No one here wants such a confrontation. This war has been imposed on the region by the United States and Israel. That is why the role of the international community, including the permanent members of the Security Council, is crucial. They must put pressure on the United States to end this war. Otherwise, Iran has no choice but to defend itself."

Meanwhile, the US State Department said that 28,000 citizens have safely returned to the US from countries in the Middle East since the US, alongside Israel, started attacking Iran on February 28.

"Since February 28, over 28,000 American citizens have safely returned to the United States from the Middle East. These figures do not include the many Americans who have safely relocated to other countries or those who have departed the Middle East but are still in transit back to the United States," Dylan Johnson, Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs, said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iran will never capitulate after Trump demanded "unconditional surrender" as Tehran continues to strike targets in Israel and the Gulf region with drones and missiles, Al Jazeera reported.