Iran’s hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has reportedly taken control over the state functions, after sidelining President Masoud Pezeshkian. The IRGC has erected a security perimeter around Supreme Leader Khamenei and has also blocked presidential appointments and decisions. This shift in Iran’s poilitical dynamics has taken place over the weekend, with IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi and his close allies assuming a dominant leadership role within the Islamic Republic. This development comes amid rising uncertainty in the Strait of Hormuz and the ongoing talks between US and Iran.
IRGC chief commander Ahmad Vahidi intervened following the efforts by Pezeshkian to appoint a new intelligence minister last Thursday, thus failing the appointment for the post. All proposed candidates, including Hossein Dehghan, were rejected. The IRGC is preventing the President from advancing his preferred candidate. Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s whereabouts also remain unclear. Khamenei has not appeared in public since assuming office, fuelling speculation about his condition. As per US officials he may be incapacitated.
Iran’s political situation intensified after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which created a vacuum at the top Iranian system, following which his son, Mojtaba Khamenei filled the space. there has been little public visibility or official communication from him. The IRGC has assumed a greater role in the Iran’s politics by expanding their role beyond military operations to exert control over governance, including political appointments and intelligence decisions.
