Hardliners in Tehran are running the show while the Iran's supreme leader watches - opinion

Iran's political landscape is reportedly dominated by hardliners within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who now allegedly wield total control over the nation's political, economic, and strategic decisions. This shift has occurred under the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who some believe is a puppet of the IRGC, lacking independent authority and bypassed constitutional processes in his selection.

Real power, according to this interpretation, resides with three key IRGC figures: Commander-in-Chief Brig.-Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, and senior military adviser Mohsen Rezaei. These individuals reportedly reject renewed negotiations with the U.S. and favor continued conflict, actively thwarting President Masoud Pezeshkian's desire for a ceasefire. The IRGC has allegedly blocked his ministerial appointments and countered his de-escalation signals.

This alleged IRGC dominance is seen as evidence by some that Iran is no longer a republic but a "dictatorial, mafia-style oligarchy in military uniform." The regime's recent actions, such as authorizing attacks on commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, which prompted U.S. strikes on over 80 Iranian military targets, are cited as support for this view. The IRGC reportedly functions as an armed force, economic empire, intelligence service, political party, and the de facto government.

However, not all analysts agree that the IRGC has fully consolidated its power. Some believe the internal struggle for dominance is ongoing, with power heavily contested between the IRGC and a more pragmatic political-diplomatic camp. In this view, the new supreme leader sits above them as a vulnerable arbiter, whose authority is legally recognized but fragile in practice.