Iran’s Revolutionary Guard sidelines president as military grip expands

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the elite subdivision of the Iranian Armed Forces, has blocked President Masoud Pezeshkian’s statesmanlike appointments and erected what sources described arsenic a information cordon astir Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, a study published Tuesday by Iran International said.

The IRGC efficaciously has assumed power implicit cardinal authorities functions, the study claimed.

"It was ever a substance of when, not if, the IRGC was going to measurement guardant adjacent much than it has successful the past 3 decades," Behnam Ben Taleblu, elder manager of the Iran programme astatine the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.

Pezeshkian has reached a "complete governmental deadlock" arsenic tensions betwixt his medication and the subject enactment deepen, according to the report.

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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the elite subdivision of the Iranian Armed Forces, has blocked President Masoud Pezeshkian’s statesmanlike appointments, a caller study says.  (John Lamparski/Getty Images)

The reported displacement could person large consequences acold beyond Iran. 

Analysts accidental a much almighty IRGC apt would mean a much confrontational Iran, little consenting to compromise successful talks with Washington and much inclined to proceed subject escalation crossed the region. With U.S.-Iran negotiations already faltering and uncertainty increasing implicit whether Tehran volition adjacent nonstop negotiators to the adjacent circular of talks, the emergence of the Revolutionary Guard raises caller doubts astir who really is making decisions successful Iran and whether immoderate civilian authoritative tin inactive talk for the regime.

"But it’s a mistake to presume this is immoderate benignant of coup," Ben Taleblu said. "This has been the process successful Iran for years now, arsenic the authorities has chosen struggle implicit practice and emboldened its information forces astatine each juncture."

Pezeshkian’s caller effort to name a caller quality curate collapsed aft nonstop unit from IRGC commandant Ahmad Vahidi, sources told Iran International, arguing that each projected candidates, including erstwhile Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan, were rejected.

Vahidi reportedly insisted that nether wartime conditions, each captious and delicate positions indispensable beryllium chosen and managed straight by the Revolutionary Guard until further notice.

"By immoderate standard, Vahidi is considered a extremist adjacent wrong the regime’s hardline elite, and his emergence is simply a informing that Tehran’s warfare instrumentality present calls the shots," Lisa Daftari, overseas argumentation expert and journalist, told Fox News Digital.

Under Iran’s system, the president traditionally nominates an quality curate lone aft securing support from the ultimate leader. But with the information and whereabouts of Mojtaba Khamenei unclear successful caller weeks, the IRGC appears to beryllium progressively acting without civilian oversight.

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RGC commandant Ahmad Vahidi reportedly insisted that nether wartime conditions, each captious and delicate positions indispensable beryllium chosen and managed straight by the Revolutionary Guard until further notice.  (Morteza Nikoubazl/Nur Photo via Getty Images)

The study claims Pezeshkian repeatedly has sought an urgent gathering with Mojtaba Khamenei but has been incapable to found contact.

Instead, according to Iran International, a "military council" made up of elder IRGC officers present controls entree to the halfway of power, preventing authorities reports from reaching Mojtaba and efficaciously isolating him from the elected government.

Still, analysts accidental the reported powerfulness conflict reflects a longer inclination successful Iran, wherever the Revolutionary Guard has steadily expanded its power implicit politics, the economy, and nationalist security.

Ben Taleblu argued that Pezeshkian’s evident sidelining should not beryllium viewed arsenic a melodramatic interruption from the past due to the fact that the president ne'er exercised important autarkic authority.

"Those who interest astir Pezeshkian’s imaginable sidelining request to see what helium realistically was oregon wasn’t capable to bash specified months agone erstwhile the authorities slaughtered 40,000 Iranians successful the streets," helium said.

Pezeshkian, elected successful 2025 connected promises of moderation and reform, has repeatedly recovered himself constrained by the information constitution and the clerical leadership.

The latest study suggests that dynamic has intensified dramatically arsenic Iran faces increasing outer unit and interior uncertainty.

One of the astir striking claims involves Ali Asghar Hejazi, a almighty information authoritative wrong the bureau of the ultimate leader.

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A banner featuring Iran’s caller Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and elder commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is displayed successful Tehran, Iran, March 14, 2026. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Some of Mojtaba Khamenei’s associates are present trying to propulsion Hejazi retired due to the fact that helium opposed Mojtaba succeeding his father, according to Iran International.

The study said Hejazi warned members of the Assembly of Experts that Mojtaba lacked the qualifications to go ultimate person and that hereditary succession would interruption the principles laid retired by Ali Khamenei.

Hejazi reportedly besides warned that putting Mojtaba successful powerfulness would efficaciously manus the state to the Revolutionary Guard and permanently sideline civilian institutions.

That informing progressively appears to bespeak what is already happening.

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Analysts accidental the latest developments suggest the IRGC is nary longer operating down the scenes, but is openly emerging arsenic the ascendant unit successful Tehran.  (AFP/Via Getty Images)

The Revolutionary Guard, created aft the 1979 Islamic Revolution to support the regime, has agelong evolved acold beyond a subject force. It present controls large sections of Iran’s economy, oversees the country’s rocket and atomic programs, and exerts power crossed astir each subdivision of government.

Analysts accidental the latest developments suggest the IRGC is nary longer operating down the scenes, but is openly emerging arsenic the ascendant unit successful Tehran.

Iran’s ngo to the United Nations declined to comment.