There is a sinister new power in Iran, and it’s not who the West thinks
Ahmad Vahidi is the key cog in the regime’s chain of command. He is also wanted by Interpol in connection with terrorist attacks
Kasra Aarabi. Saeid Golkar | 26 March 2026 | 11:28am GMT
Ahmad Vahidi, the new IRGC commander-in-chief, has unmatched experience and influence in the Islamic Republic Credit: Vahid SalemiHas a power vacuum emerged in Iran’s regime, and who is really calling the shots? As the conflict enters its fourth week, these questions are shaping Western policy and military strategy. The answer reveals why prematurely stopping the war will almost certainly produce a far more extremist regime.
The past month has seen the US and Israel eliminate the most senior ranking officials in the Islamic Republic, including supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Mojtaba, Ali Khamenei’s son, who has now formally succeeded his father as supreme leader, was also targeted, but reportedly narrowly survived. That said, Mojtaba’s complete absence from the public eye since he assumed the mantle has led many to conclude that the new supreme leader is severely wounded and out of the decision-making picture, at least for now.
Despite incurring significant losses, there is still a high degree of coordination between the government bureaucracy, military and intelligence apparatus – the three key pillars upholding the Islamic Republic. Against this backdrop and reports that Washington has been negotiating with the “real powerbroker” in the regime, Western policy circles have concluded a new strongman has emerged in Tehran. All attention has turned to the obvious contender: Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian parliament and veteran of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – the regime’s ideological army.
But in Iran, the obvious answer is rarely the correct one. While the egotistical Ghalibaf has played to the limelight, a far more powerful figure is likely to be silently pulling the strings: Ahmad Vahidi – the new IRGC commander-in-chief who is a Khamenei absolutist. . . .
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/38744683f44f83a5
