An Iranian general is major player in talks with US over war

Key Points:

• Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, has emerged as a key figure in shaping Iran’s hardline stance in negotiations with the U.S. amid ongoing conflict and leadership uncertainty following strikes on Iran’s supreme leader’s family.
• Vahidi, linked to past militant attacks including the 1994 Argentina Jewish center bombing and the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing, now commands Iran’s most powerful military force, controlling ballistic missiles and naval assets threatening Gulf shipping routes.
• Since talks in Pakistan earlier this year failed, Vahidi has become the primary Iranian contact for U.S. negotiations, reflecting a consolidation of military and diplomatic control within a small inner circle close to the supreme leader.
• His confrontational approach and belief in continuous resistance complicate prospects for a diplomatic resolution, as Iran maintains a strategy of disrupting Gulf oil exports and resisting U.S. demands to relinquish its nuclear stockpile.
• Vahidi’s long history within Iran’s military and intelligence apparatus, including overseeing a violent crackdown on 2022 protests, underscores his influence in both Iran’s domestic security and foreign policy, making negotiations with Iran more challenging for the U.S.