Who is Ahmad Vahidi? Iran’s new IRGC chief tied to global attacks and ‘Death to America’ ideology

As President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to determine whether to widen a two-week ceasefire betwixt nan countries approaches, attraction is progressively turning not to Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, but to a shadowy Revolutionary Guard commandant pinch a agelong grounds of terror, repression and hardline ideology.

Ahmad Vahidi, precocious elevated to nan apical of nan Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, nan elite paramilitary unit wrong Iran’s military, is emerging arsenic 1 of nan astir powerful men successful Iran and, according to analysts, 1 of nan cardinal figures apt deciding whether Tehran resumes fighting aliases continues talks.

"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 instrumentality now calls nan shots," Lisa Daftari, overseas argumentation expert and journalist, told Fox News Digital.

"Putting personification pinch specified a bloody and murderous record astatine nan apical of nan Revolutionary Guard Corps confirms that nan authorities is not moderating nether pressure. On nan contrary," Daftari added, "it is doubling down connected men whose careers are built connected hostage‑taking, assassinations, and home repression. 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 instrumentality now calls nan shots."

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Why it matters: Analysts opportunity Vahidi’s emergence could style whether Iran moves toward bid aliases deeper conflict. For nan U.S., that intends heightened risks to troops, friends and world stableness if a hardline fig pinch a history tied to panic networks is now helping telephone nan shots successful Iran.

Ahmad Vahidi, precocious elevated to nan apical of nan Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, nan elite paramilitary unit wrong Iran’s military, is emerging arsenic 1 of nan astir powerful men successful Iran.  (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto)

Power progressively concentrated extracurricular general institutions

Vahidi’s emergence comes astatine a infinitesimal erstwhile Iran’s formal governmental institutions look weaker than ever.

Experts picture nan Islamic Republic coming arsenic a strategy successful which informal networks and individual relationships matter much than charismatic titles.

Benham Ben Taleblu, elder chap astatine nan Foundation for Defense of Democracies, described Iran arsenic "a strategy of men, not laws, but 1 whose occurrence rested connected institutionalizing their power", wherever decisions progressively travel done Revolutionary Guard figures alternatively than nan civilian government.

Beni Sabti, an Iran master astatine Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, said Vahidi whitethorn now beryllium moreover much influential than parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf aliases moreover Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei.

"In my view, he is much ascendant correct now, moreover if they are coordinated. This is not a clip for soul competition," Sabti said, adding that Vahidi is nan only 1 who meets nan caller ultimate leader face-to-face.

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Ahmad Vahidi, commandant of nan Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, and Iraj Masjedi, Deputy Coordinator of nan Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, participate successful a ceremonial to people nan representation of erstwhile IRGC commander, Hossein Salami, who is killed successful Israeli attacks, astatine a mosque successful an IRGC organizational location analyzable successful Tehran, Iran, July 25, 2025. (Morteza Nikoubazl/Nur Photo)

He antecedently led nan Quds Force earlier Qassem Soleimani

Long earlier nan world knew nan sanction Qassem Soleimani, the longtime commandant of Iran’s elite Quds Force who was killed successful a 2020 U.S. drone strike, Vahidi was 1 of nan men who helped build nan infrastructure of Iran’s overseas panic operations.

He served arsenic commandant of nan Quds Force successful nan 1990s, earlier Soleimani took complete nan elite portion responsible for overseas operations, covert action and support for proxy groups. 

Analysts opportunity Vahidi played a cardinal domiciled successful building Iran’s web of violent friends crossed nan Middle East, particularly successful Lebanon.

"Ahmad Vahidi is nan embodiment of nan Islamic Republic’s astir militant wing," Daftari told Fox News Digital. "As Qassem Soleimani’s predecessor astatine nan Quds Force, he helped build Tehran’s panic infrastructure abroad."

Sabti said Vahidi was portion of nan original procreation of Iranian operatives who forged ties pinch militant groups successful Lebanon earlier and aft nan 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Some accounts propose he trained successful camps linked to Palestinian and Lebanese factions successful confederate Lebanon, helping laic nan instauration for Iran’s confederation pinch Hezbollah, Iran-backed panic group successful Lebanon. 

Vahidi has been linked by analysts and Western governments to immoderate of nan deadliest attacks carried retired by Iranian-backed networks complete nan past 4 decades.

As nan commandant of nan Quds Force from 1988 to 1998, he has been connected to nan 1983 Beirut barracks bombing that killed 241 U.S. work members, nan 1996 Khobar Towers onslaught successful Saudi Arabia, and a 2008 onslaught connected nan U.S. Embassy successful Yemen.

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Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei receives protection from elite NOPO unit pursuing his father's assassination successful U.S.-Israel onslaught connected Tehran compound Feb. 28. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto)

One of nan world’s astir wanted Iranian officials

Daftari noted that Vahidi "has been implicated by Argentine prosecutors successful nan 1994 bombing of nan AMIA (Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina) Jewish organization halfway successful Buenos Aires." Eighty-five group were killed successful nan bombing. 

Argentine investigators and courts person besides linked Vahidi to nan 1992 bombing of nan Israeli Embassy successful Buenos Aires, though nan Interpol reddish announcement against him is specifically for his alleged domiciled successful nan 1994 AMIA bombing.

In April, Argentina renewed attraction connected him aft its President Javier Milei’s authorities designated nan full Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a violent statement and singled retired Vahidi by name.

In announcing nan move, nan Argentine authorities said that red notices remained successful spot for respective Iranian officials, "among them erstwhile Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi, who was precocious appointed to lead nan IRGC."

Vahidi is nether aggregate layers of sanctions by some nan United States and nan European Union. The sanctions importantly restrict his expertise to travel, move money aliases do business internationally.

Washington first sanctioned him successful 2010 for links to Iran’s atomic and rocket programs. Vahidi was redesignated successful 2022 for "being an charismatic of nan Government of Iran and being responsible for aliases complicit in, aliases responsible for ordering, controlling, aliases different directing, nan committee of serious quality authorities abuses against persons successful Iran aliases Iranian citizens aliases residents, aliases nan family members of nan foregoing, connected aliases aft June 12, 2009, sloppy of whether specified abuses occurred successful Iran."

He was redesignated by nan United States successful 2022 nether Executive Order 13553 aft Mahsa Amini’s death, erstwhile he served arsenic interior curate and oversaw nan regime’s consequence to nationwide protests.

Vahidi was sanctioned for orchestrating net blackouts and directing Iran’s Law Enforcement Command, known arsenic NAJA, during nan crackdown, according to nan U.S. Treasury. 

The European Union first sanctioned him successful 2008, and imposed parallel sanctions successful 2022 complete nan usage of unrecorded ammunition, arbitrary detention of protesters and journalists, and nan convulsive suppression of demonstrations.

Human authorities groups accused Iranian authorities of utilizing unrecorded fire, wide arrests and torture against protesters, which resulted successful much than 30,000 deaths.

Yigal Carmon, laminitis and president of nan Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) warned, "Under his leadership, much specified crimes are to beryllium expected successful nan West against some Jews and non-Jews."

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Iran's Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi briefs nan media connected elections successful Tehran, Iran, March 4, 2024. Argentina sought nan apprehension of Vahidi connected April 23, 2024, complete his alleged engagement successful nan deadly 1994 bombing of Buenos Aires Jewish organization center. (Vahid Salemi/AP)

Analysts opportunity he represents nan regime’s astir extremist faction

Experts opportunity Vahidi is not simply different hardliner, but 1 of nan astir utmost figures moreover wrong Iran’s already extremist ruling elite.

Sabti is informing that Vahidi’s increasing power could make Tehran little apt to work together to a genuine ceasefire.

"He brings moreover much radicalization into nan strategy and whitethorn not want to extremity nan war, because it serves nan interests of nan Revolutionary Guards to continue," Sabti said.

One of nan biggest concerns surrounding Vahidi is that moreover if Iran agrees to a ceasefire, he whitethorn spot it only arsenic an opportunity to regroup.

That interest has taken connected caller urgency arsenic Trump’s deadline approaches.

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Iranians respond aft a ceasefire announcement astatine nan Enqelab square, successful Tehran, connected April 8, 2026. The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire Tuesday hardly an hr earlier U.S. President Donald Trump's deadline to obliterate nan rival state was group to expire, pinch Tehran to temporarily reopen nan captious Strait of Hormuz. (AFP via Getty Images)

If Vahidi is so nan man progressively calling nan shots successful Iran, analysts opportunity nan cardinal mobility is not whether Iran wants a ceasefire, but whether nan Revolutionary Guard commandant believes continued confrontation amended serves his interests.

Carmon said, "Trusting him is simply a sedate mistake. He belongs to nan difficult 'DEATH TO AMERICA' corps."

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