Who actually runs Iran right now? The key power players as Trump claims talks to 'top' official

"Nobody knows who to talk to," President Donald Trump said Tuesday astatine nan White House, describing what he portrayed arsenic some chaos and opportunity wrong Iran’s leadership. "But we're really talking to nan correct people, and they want to make a woody truthful badly." 

His remarks travel arsenic nan U.S. claims it is engaged successful talks pinch a "top" Iranian figure, moreover arsenic Tehran publically denies negotiations are taking place.

The mobility now is not conscionable whether talks are happening, but whether anyone successful Tehran has nan authority to deliver. With strikes connected elder Iranian activity and increasing soul fractures, Iran appears to beryllium operating little for illustration a centralized theocracy and much for illustration a wartime strategy tally by overlapping powerfulness centers, pinch nan Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) astatine its core.

Here’s who matters now.

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A State Department Rewards for Justice poster offers up to $10 cardinal for accusation connected cardinal leaders tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including Mojtaba Khamenei, Ali Asghar Hejazi, Yahya Rahim Safavi, Ali Larijani, Eskandar Momeni and Esmail Khatib. (State Department / Rewards for Justice)

The IRGC: The existent powerfulness down nan state

Across intelligence assessments and caller reporting, 1 conclusion is consistent: nan Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has emerged arsenic nan ascendant unit successful Iran’s governmental system.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, elder chap astatine nan Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said nan existent infinitesimal is accelerating a long-standing trend. 

"No uncertainty some nan 12-Day warfare and this existent conflict person trimmed nan commanding heights of nan Islamic Republic's governmental and subject leadership," he said.  "But it has besides expedited nan inclination lines inherent successful Iranian politics, which is nan power of nan information forces and nan ascendance of nan IRGC."

"Yes, location is much IRGC power complete nan authorities than ever before, but nan authorities is weaker than ever earlier and much of a nationalist information rump authorities than ever before," he said. 

"It shouldn't peculiarly preoccupy Washington, who is and isn't offering negotiations," Ben Taleblu added, "The preeminent preoccupation of Washington has to beryllium moving toward a subject triumph astatine a governmental win, and that does not travel by moving pinch nan IRGC, but really beating them connected nan battlefield and supporting nan forces's astir arrayed against them successful Iran, which are nan Iranian people."

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) subject unit are stepping on Enghelab (Revolution) Avenue arsenic an Iranian Kheibar Surface-to-Surface rocket is being unveiled during nan Ela Beit Al-Moghaddas (Al-Aqsa Mosque) subject rally successful Tehran, Iran, connected November 24, 2023. The IRGC is unveiling 2 caller missiles during nan rally.  (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The bid room: Supreme National Security Council

If nan Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is nan powerfulness successful Iran, nan Supreme National Security Council appears to beryllium nan system done which that powerfulness is exercised.

The Supreme National Security Council is Iran’s apical forum for coordinating subject and overseas policy, bringing together elder Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders and authorities officials nether nan authority of nan ultimate leader. It was established aft nan 1979 gyration and has played a cardinal domiciled successful managing awesome crises, from atomic negotiations to wartime operations.

Iran appointed Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, a erstwhile Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, arsenic caput of nan council, reinforcing its cardinal domiciled successful coordinating subject and political decisions, Reuters reported Tuesday.

A Middle Eastern charismatic root pinch knowledge of nan strategy described nan structure:

"Right now, nan powerfulness is successful nan hands of nan IRGC," nan root said. "The Supreme National Security Council makes nan decisions, of course, pinch nan backing of nan mostly of IRGC commanders."

A mourner holds a poster depicting Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, right, nan successor to his precocious father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, arsenic ultimate leader, during nan ceremonial convoy for elder Iranian subject officials and civilians killed during nan run successful Tehran, Iran, March 11, 2026. (Vahid Salemi/AP Photo)

Mojtabā Khamenei: The ultimate leader successful name

Formally, Iran’s strategy centers connected Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. But his existent grip connected powerfulness remains uncertain.

Khamenei inherited nan position’s sweeping authority pursuing his father’s death, but "lacks nan automatic authority enjoyed by his father," nan Middle Eastern charismatic said.

Moreover, he has not appeared publically since taking powerfulness and only has issued written statements, raising questions astir some his wellness and his expertise to govern, aft reportedly being injured successful nan first Feb. 28 U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed his begetter and different elder Iranian leaders.

Brig. Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, caput of nan Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, suggested his domiciled whitethorn presently beryllium limited: "For nan clip being, since Mojtaba has been injured, it seems he's a hologram and not holding power. However, if Mojtaba recovers, he will beryllium progressive successful ruling Iran. He is not conscionable a figurehead. But anyhow, for nan clip being, nan power of Iran is successful nan hands of nan revolutionary guards."

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Ghalibaf: The man astatine nan halfway of Trump’s claim

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf speaks during a nationalist arena successful Iran successful 2024 (Hossein Beris / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP)

Trump’s connection that he is speaking to a "top person" has focused attraction connected 1 sanction successful particular: Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

The White House is softly exploring Ghalibaf arsenic a imaginable interlocutor and moreover a imaginable early leader, Axios reported.

A erstwhile Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commandant and existent parliament speaker, Ghalibaf represents a hybrid fig wrong nan system, bridging subject credentials and governmental authority.

He was 1 of nan cardinal information figures progressive successful nan crackdown connected student protests successful July 1999 and has tally for president 4 times since 2005.

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Ghalibaf is expected to meet U.S. typical envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner successful the superior of Pakistan arsenic early arsenic nan extremity of this week.

Ben Taleblu said: "Those who spot nan ascendants of personification for illustration Ghalibaf, who is an IRGC veteran, having extended powerfulness extracurricular his accepted civilian rule, person missed nan decades of really personality, not profession, has been nan driving force, has been a driving unit successful Iranian authorities for nan past fewer decades. I would besides opportunity those who interest astir nan IRGC inheritance of nan Supreme National Security Council are each that successful Iran today, whitethorn person missed nan truth that nan past fewer Supreme National Security Council Secretaries, Shamkhani, Larijani, Ahmadian, each besides had IRGC backgrounds."

At nan aforesaid time, Ghalibaf has publically denied engaging successful talks pinch nan United States, and nary nonstop confirmation of negotiations has been provided by either side.

Araqchi: The diplomat carrying messages

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a associated property convention pinch Russian Foreign Minister pursuing their talks successful Moscow connected April 18, 2025. (Getty Images)

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi remains 1 of nan astir visible figures internationally.

If talks were to return place, Araqchi apt would beryllium portion of nan Iranian delegation alongside Ghalibaf, Reuters reported.

But analysts be aware that his domiciled is limited. He whitethorn enactment arsenic a transmission for communication, but does not group argumentation independently. 

Strategic decisions, peculiarly connected warfare and negotiations, are still shaped by nan Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and nan broader information establishment.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, nan caput of nan judiciary and Alireza Arafi, lawman president of nan Assembly of Experts, be nan gathering of nan interim activity assembly of Iran successful an chartless location, amid nan U.S.-Israel conflict pinch Iran, successful Iran, March 1, 2026.  (IRIB/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters)

The wider powerfulness circle: generals, clerics and enforcers

Beyond nan header figures, a broader group of officials who proceed to style Iran’s guidance tin beryllium identified.

These see Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps main Ahmad Vahidi, Quds Force commandant Esmail Qaani, naval commandant Alireza Tangsiri, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, President Masoud Pezeshkian, and elder clerical and governmental figures specified arsenic Saeed Jalili and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi.

Each represents a different pillar of nan system: subject power, location proxy operations, power of strategical waterways, soul repression and belief legitimacy.

Together, they shape what analysts picture arsenic a fragmented but resilient governing network.

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A advertisement depicting Iran's ultimate leaders since 1979: (L to R) Ayatollahs Ruhollah Khomeini (until 1989), Ali Khamenei (until 2026), and Mojtaba Khamenei (incumbent) is displayed supra a road successful Tehran connected March 10, 2026. Iran marked nan assignment of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to switch his begetter arsenic its ultimate leader connected March 9, 2026.  (AFP/Via Getty Images)

Despite soul divisions, Iran’s activity remains agreed connected 1 halfway objective: endurance of nan regime.

Kuperwasser described nan split: "There are nan much pragmatic elites, for illustration Araghchi, Rouhani, and Zarif. There are besides nan hardliners who person usually held nan precocious manus … But they are agreed successful 1 rumor — that nan authorities should past and enactment successful power."
Iran’s U.N. ngo did not respond to a petition for remark successful clip for publication.