The Hard-Line Military Fraternity Running Iran
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader for 37 years, was killed by Israel on Feb. 28 and succeeded by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, aged 56.
- Despite Mojtaba's official role, decision-making power in Iran extends beyond him and is influenced by a small, elite group of mostly current or former senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
- This "band of brothers," shaped by their experience in the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), holds significant sway over intelligence, security, and government repression in Iran.
- Many of these commanders have personal ties to Mojtaba Khamenei and are known for their hardline militant stance, continuing the Islamic revolution with strict and often harsh methods.