Iran’s Revolutionary Guard sidelines president as military grip expands

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), nan elite branch of nan 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 complete cardinal authorities functions, nan study claimed.

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

Pezeshkian has reached a "complete governmental deadlock" arsenic tensions betwixt his management and nan subject activity deepen, according to nan report.

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

The reported displacement could person awesome consequences acold beyond Iran. 

Analysts opportunity a much powerful IRGC apt would mean a much confrontational Iran, little consenting to discuss successful talks pinch Washington and much inclined to proceed subject escalation crossed nan region. With U.S.-Iran negotiations already faltering and uncertainty increasing complete whether Tehran will moreover nonstop negotiators to nan adjacent information of talks, nan emergence of nan Revolutionary Guard raises caller doubts astir who really is making decisions successful Iran and whether immoderate civilian charismatic tin still speak for nan regime.

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

Pezeshkian’s caller effort to name a caller intelligence 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 must beryllium chosen and managed straight by nan Revolutionary Guard until further notice.

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

Under Iran’s system, nan president traditionally nominates an intelligence curate only aft securing support from nan ultimate leader. But pinch nan condition and whereabouts of Mojtaba Khamenei unclear successful caller weeks, nan 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 must beryllium chosen and managed straight by nan Revolutionary Guard until further notice.  (Morteza Nikoubazl/Nur Photo via Getty Images)

The study claims Pezeshkian many times has sought an urgent gathering pinch Mojtaba Khamenei but has been incapable to found contact.

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

Still, analysts opportunity nan reported powerfulness struggle reflects a longer inclination successful Iran, wherever nan Revolutionary Guard has steadily expanded its power complete politics, nan economy, and nationalist security.

Ben Taleblu based on that Pezeshkian’s evident sidelining should not beryllium viewed arsenic a melodramatic break from nan past because nan president ne'er exercised important independent authority.

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

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

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

One of nan astir striking claims involves Ali Asghar Hejazi, a powerful information charismatic wrong nan agency of nan ultimate leader.

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A banner featuring Iran’s caller Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and elder commanders of nan 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 now trying to push Hejazi retired because he opposed Mojtaba succeeding his father, according to Iran International.

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

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

That informing progressively appears to bespeak what is already happening.

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

The Revolutionary Guard, created aft nan 1979 Islamic Revolution to take sides nan regime, has agelong evolved acold beyond a subject force. It now controls awesome sections of Iran’s economy, oversees nan country’s rocket and atomic programs, and exerts power crossed astir each branch of government.

Analysts opportunity nan latest developments propose nan IRGC is nary longer operating down nan scenes, but is openly emerging arsenic the ascendant force successful Tehran.

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