IRGC escalates rhetoric as new navy commander threatens 'divine revenge'

Ali Ozmai's appointment and missile inscriptions signal heightened readiness against Israel and the US.

IRGC escalates rhetoric as new navy commander threatens 'divine revenge' — Hours after the funeral of Iran's former Supreme Leader, IRGC members began inscribing the slogan 'We must rise up' on missiles prepared for launch, according to Iranian media.[^1] The act follows directives from the new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, and signals a deliberate escalation in public messaging. Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, Majid Musavi, warned that 'the heavy and unexpected strikes that the enemy has received will not stop, because the confrontation between truth and falsehood continues.'[^1] Meanwhile, Ali Ozmai has been appointed as the new commander of the IRGC Navy, approximately three months after the elimination of his predecessor, Alireza Tangsiri.[^2] Ozmai stated that 'divine revenge against America and Israel is very close,'[^2] a threat that aligns with the broader IRGC posture of preparing missile attacks in the region. The appointments and inscriptions suggest a coordinated effort to project strength and continuity after the leadership transition. These developments come as the IDF faces its own internal challenges. Soldiers from the support company of the 51st Battalion in the Golani Brigade were confined to base and lost a day of leave after hanging brigade flags in violation of a new directive.[^3] The IDF responded: 'The incident is known. The soldiers were punished for violating regulations. The punishment was carried out according to the commanders' discretion.'[^3] Parents claim the soldiers were unaware of the order, highlighting a tension between discipline enforcement and communication.[^3] Likud defection and coalition power shuffle reshape Israeli politics — MK Yuli Edelstein announced his departure from Likud in a Friday press conference, ending a two-decade tenure and reportedly planning to start a new right-wing party.[^1] The split comes as the government faces multiple internal pressures: the Finance Ministry has blocked funding for the Mor-Yosef commission's recommendations on rehabilitating wounded IDF soldiers, which require about 2 billion shekels annually, even as the number of wounded soldiers has reached 90,000, o