Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the elite branch of the Iranian armed forces, has blocked President Masoud Pezeshkians presidential appointments and erected what sources described as a security cordon around Supreme Leader a report published Tuesday by Iran International said.
The IRGC effectively has assumed control over key state functions, the report claimed.
“It was always a matter of when, not if, the IRGC was going to step forward even more than it has in the last three decades,” Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.
Pezeshkian has reached a “complete political deadlock” as tensions between his administration and the military leadership deepen, according to the report.
The reported shift could have major consequences far beyond Iran.Â
Analysts say a more powerful IRGC likely would mean a more confrontational Iran, less willing to compromise in talks with Washington and more inclined to continue military escalation across the region. With U.S.-Iran negotiations already faltering and uncertainty growing over whether Tehran will even send negotiators to the next round of talks, the rise of the Revolutionary Guard raises fresh doubts about who actually is making decisions in Iran and whether any civilian official can still speak for the regime.
“But its a mistake to assume this is some sort of coup,” Ben Taleblu said. “This has been the process in Iran for years now, as the regime has chosen conflict over cooperation and emboldened its security forces at every juncture.”
Pezeshkians recent effort to appoint a new intelligence minister collapsed after direct pressure from , sources told Iran International, arguing that all proposed candidates, including former Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan, were rejected.
Vahidi reportedly insisted that under wartime conditions, all critical and sensitive positions must be chosen and managed directly by the Revolutionary Guard until further notice.
“By any standard, Vahidi is considered a radical even within the regimes hardline elite, and his rise is a warning that now calls the shots,” Lisa Daftari, foreign policy analyst and journalist, told Fox News Digital.
Under Irans system, the president traditionally nominates an intelligence minister only after securing approval from the supreme leader. But with the of Mojtaba Khamenei unclear in recent weeks, the IRGC appears to be increasingly acting without civilian oversight.
The report claims Pezeshkian repeatedly has sought an urgent meeting with Khamenei but has been unable to establish contact.
Instead, according to Iran International, a “” made up of senior IRGC officers now controls access to the center of power, preventing government reports from reaching Mojtaba and effectively isolating him from the elected government.
Still, analysts say the reported power struggle reflects a longer trend in Iran, where the Revolutionary Guard has steadily expanded its influence over politics, the economy and national security.
Ben Taleblu argued that should not be viewed as a dramatic break from the past because the president never exercised significant independent authority.
“Those who worry about Pezeshkians potential sidelining need to consider what he realistically was or wasnt able to do mere months ago when the regime slaughtered 40,000 Iranians in the streets,” he said.
Pezeshkian, elected in 2025 on promises of moderation and reform, has repeatedly found himself constrained by the security establishment and the clerical leadership.
The latest report suggests that dynamic has intensified dramatically as Iran faces growing external pressure and .
One of the most striking claims involves Ali Asghar Hejazi, a powerful security official inside the
