00:00So who's really running Iran right now?
00:02On paper, it's clear.
00:03Mushtaba Hamne holds ultimate authority
00:06and the elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, runs the government.
00:09But war changes this reality.
00:11Since the conflict began on February 28th, that structure appears shaken.
00:16The Supreme Leader hasn't been seen publicly
00:18and civilian institutions seem to be fading from the decision-making process.
00:23Into that vacuum steps in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
00:26After the early death of RIGC commander Mohamed Pakpour,
00:31power didn't just transfer, it concentrated.
00:33Ahmad Vahidi, a founding IRGC figure and former interior minister,
00:37took over in an emergency role and has since emerged as a central force.
00:42Now, decisions aren't coming from a broad government,
00:45they're coming from a tight inner circle.
00:47At the center, Vahidi, alongside hardline figures and top security officials
00:52like Ali Akbar Ahmadiyan and Mohamed Bagheer Zolgadir.
00:55This group isn't just managing the war, they're setting red lines,
00:59military strategy, ceasefire terms, even control of the Strait of Ramuz.
01:03Officially, Iran's civilian leadership still exists,
01:06but in practice, power appears to have shifted into the hands
01:09of military and security officials, at least from what we can see.
01:13That shift matters.
01:14It suggests decisions are now being driven by a smaller security-focused inner circle,
01:19and any path forward will likely depend on understanding that reality
01:23and where the red lines are against the system built to absorb pressure and endure.
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