Iranian army promises to defend Islamic Republic's statehood

The command of the Islamic Republic of Iran's army has issued a statement following the confirmed death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, pledging to defend the country's state structure and territorial integrity.

The statement, published by state media, appears to directly counter assumptions by Israel and the USA - currently conducting strikes against Iran - that the leadership vacuum could create conditions for a coup d'état or the restoration of the Persian Shahs under US protectorate.

"The army stands as a strong bastion of the people in defending the independence, territorial integrity, and sacred order of the Islamic Republic of Iran",

the armed forces' press service declared.

In light of the ongoing aggression, the army has indicated it will coordinate with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to repel US-Israeli attacks.

It should be noted that while the IRGC controls Iran's missile and drone forces, as well as its naval assets, the regular army maintains its own command structure and conventional capabilities.