06:00 30-04-2026

IRGC Tightens Grip as Power Shifts in Iran War

Power in Iran shifts toward the IRGC during conflict with the US and Israel, as leadership roles change and decision-making becomes more centralized.

During the ongoing military operation by the United States and Israel against Iran, power inside the country has effectively shifted toward the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Reuters reports. In this new configuration, the role of the supreme leader has become largely symbolic.

According to the report, the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war and the subsequent appointment of his son, Mojtaba, triggered the emergence of a power structure dominated by IRGC commanders. While Mojtaba Khamenei formally remains at the top of the hierarchy, sources cited by Reuters suggest his function is now limited to endorsing decisions made by military leadership rather than exercising independent authority.

Iranian officials and analysts describe a wartime system in which decision-making is concentrated within a narrow circle. This includes the Supreme National Security Council, the office of the supreme leader, and the IRGC, with the latter playing a decisive role both in shaping military strategy and in key political decisions.

A senior Pakistani official familiar with mediation efforts between Tehran and Washington noted that the Iranian side has been slow to respond during negotiations, in which Islamabad acts as an intermediary. In his account, the delays reflect the absence of a single, unified decision-making center, with responses sometimes taking two to three days.

Although Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi serves as Iran’s formal representative in talks with the United States, analysts point to IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi as the figure wielding real political influence.

At the same time, experts argue that the main obstacle to a potential settlement lies not in internal divisions among Iran’s leadership, but in the gap between what the White House is prepared to offer and what the IRGC is willing to accept.