IRGC: Iran is going through a very confusing time at the top. After Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes that started the current war, his son Mojtaba Khamenei was named the new Supreme Leader, according to recent reporting. Since then, though, he has not been seen in public. That has made many people wonder who is really leading the country right now. Reuters reported this week that Mojtaba is believed to still be in Iran, while Russia’s ambassador to Tehran said he is staying out of public view for security reasons.
Because Mojtaba has not shown himself openly, more questions have started spreading. Messages said to be from him have been shared, but his long silence has added to the mystery. There is still a lot that is not clear in public. What is clear is that his absence has come at a very tense moment, with Iran already under huge pressure from war and from growing fear inside the system.
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The IRGC is getting stronger
As the top leadership stays out of sight, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, seems to be taking a much bigger role. Reports say the Guard is now making many of the daily calls on security and politics. Some accounts describe senior IRGC officers acting almost like a temporary ruling group while the country waits for stronger direction from above.
This matters because the IRGC is not the same as Iran’s regular army. It is a separate force with deep power inside the state. Right now it appears to be filling the empty space at the top. Reports also say the Guard is tightly controlling access to the Supreme Leader’s circle, which has made it harder for other leaders to reach the center of power.
President Pezeshkian looks blocked
President Masoud Pezeshkian seems to be losing ground in this struggle. Reports say he has had trouble pushing through major decisions. Even some of his choices for important posts have been blocked, which is a sign that elected leaders may no longer be the main force in charge.
One reported example made that tension very public. Pezeshkian tried to move Hossein Dehghan into a major role, but the plan was stopped after pressure from IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi, according to recent reports. That is unusual in Iran’s normal system, where the government would usually make these moves with the Supreme Leader’s approval instead of having the military step in so directly.
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The bigger problem is that all of this is happening during war. Iran’s economy has already been hit hard by weeks of fighting. At the same time, the Strait of Hormuz remains at the center of the crisis, with major disruption to shipping and oil markets. That has made other countries very nervous too because the waterway is one of the world’s most important energy routes.
Who are the more “reasonable” leaders?
The confusion grew even more after U.S. President Donald Trump said his side was in contact with more “reasonable” leaders in Iran. Reuters reported that Trump spoke about dealing with a “more reasonable regime” as part of efforts to end the fighting. But Iranian officials denied that direct talks were taking place, so the picture is still cloudy.
