As a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran holds and the direction of negotiations remains uncertain, questions are growing over who is in charge in Tehran, with some reports pointing to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi as a key figure behind the scenes.

Vahidi assumed command of the IRGC on Feb. 28, mere hours after US and Israeli strikes killed his predecessor, Mohammad Pakpour. Since then, the veteran security official has remained largely out of public view, even as some reports suggest he may be playing an influential role in shaping the war.

In mid-March, The New York Times reported that Vahidi was among the powerful figures pushing for Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment as Iran’s supreme leader. 

The UK-based opposition outlet Iran International reported earlier this month that Vahidi blocked President Masoud Pezeshkian’s attempt to appoint a new intelligence minister, insisting that important wartime security appointments should remain under IRGC control. The outlet has previously reported tensions between Pezeshkian and Vahidi over the management of the war. Iranian state media has dismissed such accounts as anti-Iran propaganda and denied claims of internal rifts.