Tehran: Hardline factions of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have consolidated control over the nation’s military operations and diplomatic channels in a swift weekend power play, sidelining moderate influences, according to The New York Post report based on regional analyst assessments.
IRGC Commander Maj. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, flanked by loyalists, has emerged as the Islamic Republic’s dominant force. The shift manifests in escalating naval confrontations in the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran’s rejection of anticipated US peace talks, as reported by The Economic Times.
Power Shift Sidelines Moderates
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington think tank, flags this as a deliberate marginalization of figures like Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Araghchi had signaled openness to reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz after engaging the Trump administration. However, IRGC brass quashed it to defy the US blockade of Iranian harbours.
Vahidi locked in vital alliance with Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, IRGC stalwart and Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. Their pact has entrenched IRGC command of the strategic passage, now patrolled mainly by speedboats after conventional naval units incurred severe setbacks in ongoing clashes.
Meanwhile, weekend hostilities peaked as Iran struck at least three ships seeking passage, idling hundreds more in the Persian Gulf. The action broadcasts the IRGC’s unyielding grip on this critical oil corridor.
Diplomatic Overreach Sparks Backlash
The duo’s sway reaches into negotiations. Zolghadr’s recent addition to Iran’s delegation enforces IRGC and Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s edicts.
The New York Post, citing ISW, exposed team tensions: “Zolghadr sent a complaint to senior IRGC leaders, almost certainly including Vahidi, that Araghchi had surpassed his mandate during the negotiations by expressing flexibility regarding Iran’s support for the Axis of Resistance.”
This sparked a sweeping response. “Zolghadr’s anger caused senior leaders in Tehran, including former IRGC Intelligence Organization Chief and long-time member of Mojtaba’s inner circle, Hossein Taeb, to call the negotiating delegation back to Tehran,” ISW noted.
Vahidi Ascends Amid Khamenei’s Absence
The Post positions Vahidi as co-architect of policy with Khamenei, unseen publicly since airstrikes wounded him and felled his predecessor. This elevates IRGC over officials like Araghchi and Parliament head Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf—anti-Western voices deemed moderate by comparison.
ISW concludes that IRGC hardliner dominance has scuttled effective Western diplomacy with Iran as Araghchi and Ghalibaf “lack the leverage or formal executive authority to shape decision-making,” rendering them powerless against the military’s grip.
The Post counters Washington narratives of post-war Iranian moderation after elite casualties. Without a talks timeline, the region’s poise teeters, with Tuesday’s ceasefire deadline looming.
