The Militant Republic of Iran

Key Points:

• Ahmad Vahidi, appointed IRGC commander in March 2026, has a long history of supporting regime violence domestically and abroad, including involvement in Hezbollah's founding and terror attacks such as the 1983 US Marine Barracks bombing and the 1994 Argentina Jewish cultural center bombing.
• Hossein Taeb, recently reappointed as Basij Organization chief by Mojtaba, is a hardline figure with extensive experience in domestic repression and intelligence, known for suppressing protests and plotting attacks against Israeli targets.
• Mohammad Ali Jafari, former IRGC commander and military strategist behind the Mosaic Defense concept, has been influential in domestic repression, socio-cultural engineering, and advocating a hardline stance in negotiations with the US.
• Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, current parliament speaker and former IRGC officer, wields significant political power and favors diplomatic engagement with the US, though his past includes involvement in repression and corruption scandals.
• Mohsen Rezaei, Mojtaba’s personal military adviser and former IRGC commander, supports uncompromising negotiation positions and nuclear weapons acquisition, marking his return to prominence in the regime’s leadership.