Iran’s Revolutionary Guard marginalizes the president as its military hold grows

(SeaPRwire) –   According to a Tuesday report published by Iran International, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — the elite wing of the Iranian armed forces — has blocked President Masoud Pezeshkian’s official appointments and set up what sources described as a security perimeter around Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

The report alleges that the IRGC has effectively taken control of core state functions.

“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 Digital.

Per the report, Pezeshkian has hit a “complete political impasse” as tensions between his administration and military leadership continue to grow.

The documented power shift could have major ramifications that extend far beyond Iran’s borders.

Analysts say a more empowered IRGC would likely lead to a more confrontational Iran, less willing to make concessions during talks with Washington and more likely to continue military escalation across the region. With U.S.-Iran negotiations already stalling and uncertainty rising over whether Tehran will even send representatives to the next round of discussions, the Revolutionary Guard’s growing prominence has sparked fresh doubts over who truly holds decision-making power in Iran, and if any civilian official still has the authority to speak for the regime.

“But it’s 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.”

Sources told Iran International that Pezeshkian’s recent attempt to appoint a new intelligence minister fell apart following direct pressure from IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi, who rejected all proposed nominees including former Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan.

Accounts indicate Vahidi insisted that under wartime conditions, all critical and sensitive posts must be selected and overseen directly by the Revolutionary Guard until further notice.

“By any standard, Vahidi is considered a radical even within the regime’s hardline elite, and his rise is a warning that Tehran’s war machine now calls the shots,” Lisa Daftari, foreign policy analyst and journalist, told Digital.

Under Iran’s governing system, the president has historically nominated an intelligence minister only after securing approval from the supreme leader. But with Mojtaba Khamenei’s condition and location unconfirmed in recent weeks, the IRGC appears to be operating increasingly without civilian oversight.

The report states that Pezeshkian has repeatedly requested an urgent meeting with Khamenei but has been unable to make contact.

Instead, per Iran International, a “military council” made up of senior IRGC officers now controls access to the center of power, blocking government reports from reaching Mojtaba and effectively cutting him off from the elected government.

Even so, analysts say the reported power struggle reflects a long-running trend in Iran, where the Revolutionary Guard has steadily expanded its influence over politics, the economy and national security.

Ben Taleblu argued that Pezeshkian’s apparent sidelining should not be seen as a sharp break from past practices, as the president never held significant independent authority to begin with.

“Those who worry about Pezeshkian’s potential sidelining need to consider what he realistically was or wasn’t able to do mere months ago when the regime slaughtered 40,000 Iranians in the streets,” he said.

Pezeshkian, who was elected in 2025 on promises of moderation and reform, has repeatedly found his actions constrained by the security establishment and clerical leadership.

The latest report indicates that this dynamic has intensified dramatically as Iran faces growing external pressure and internal uncertainty.

One of the most notable claims in the report centers on Ali Asghar Hejazi, a powerful security official who works within the supreme leader’s office.

Per Iran International, some of Mojtaba Khamenei’s associates are now attempting to oust Hejazi because he opposed Mojtaba succeeding his father as supreme leader.

The report notes that Hejazi warned members of the Assembly of Experts that Mojtaba lacked the necessary qualifications to serve as supreme leader, and that hereditary succession would violate the principles laid out by Ali Khamenei.

Hejazi also reportedly cautioned that installing Mojtaba in power would effectively hand control of the country to the Revolutionary Guard and permanently sideline civilian governing institutions.

That warning increasingly appears to align with events that are already unfolding.

Established after the 1979 Islamic Revolution to defend the ruling regime, the Revolutionary Guard has long evolved far beyond its original role as a military force. It now controls large portions of Iran’s economy, oversees the country’s missile and nuclear programs, and wields influence across nearly every branch of government.

Analysts say the latest developments show the IRGC is no longer operating behind the scenes, and is instead openly emerging as the dominant governing force in Tehran.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations declined to comment on the allegations.