On the 47th anniversary of its founding, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has transitioned from a parallel military force into the undisputed center of Iranian national power.
According to recent intelligence assessments from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the IRGC has effectively sidelined civilian leadership, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, to establish a direct command line with the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.
This institutional takeover, led by Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, marks a historic shift from a cleric-dominated “Velayat-e-Faqih” system to a military-centric power structure. Vahidi is reportedly managing the nation’s wartime strategy, alongside Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
Despite the heavy losses sustained during the February 28th strikes—which claimed the lives of both the elder Ayatollah Khamenei and former IRGC chief Mohammad Pakpour—the Corps has leveraged its decentralized “regional headquarters” model to maintain control. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Strait of Hormuz, where the IRGC continues to overrule diplomatic efforts to reopen the waterway, asserting its role as the sole arbiter of Iran’s strategic and economic defiance.
