The conflict among power factions in Tehran is no longer hidden; signs of confusion in a tense atmosphere, internal clashes and a power struggle are clearly visible, and internal rifts have become more apparent than ever. Under current conditions, Ahmad Vahidi, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), operates as a shadow leader; his faction stands in opposition to the faction of parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, while in the meantime the faction of Director of the Supreme National Security Council Mohammad Zolghadr plays the role of a hidden orchestrator. The circle of power is becoming tighter day by day, and in practice, the structure of governance has turned into a kind of joint-stock company of intelligence-security criminals.
Supreme Leader s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, too, has so far been kept hidden by the core of power; and gradually, rumors of his death are spreading in society. But the question remains: how long can the ruling establishment continue this game? Is he even alive to be unveiled one day? If conditions are normal, what is the purpose of all this cat-and-mouse game; and if he is not alive, does this not mean an intensification of the power struggle within the regime?
At present, the remnants of the Assembly of Experts have issued a statement declaring that he is alive, and some regime-affiliated clerics â known as Shiite sources of emulation â have also confirmed this claim through official notices. But are all these staged scenes anything more than a political trick? Are the street mobilizations and regime propaganda among its supporters real, or merely part of a controlled performance? If the truth is revealed, does the regime have the capacity to respond to the destructive consequences?
Meanwhile, U.S. and i intelligence and espionage agencies have so far not fully confirmed whether he is alive or dead. On the other hand, it is still unclear why and how he was selected, through what process he rose to this position and by what mechanism he was approved.
What is also evident to international observers is that within the logic governing this structure, democracy, the peoples vote and electoral mechanisms have no place; what exists is the continuation of a dictatorship defined under the title of “,” and referred to by the Islamic community as “pure Muhammadan Islam” â a delusional interpretation that, within its specific ideological framework, is completely detached from the common standards of modern governance, rationality and civility.
The junta-like segment of the regime also acts as a serious obstacle to any negotiation with President and the United States and continues to pursue its declared goal of the destruction of Israel. From Tehrans perspective, Trump is not inclined toward entering a war and seeks to avoid direct confrontation; for this reason, a strategy of attrition, wasting time and deception has been placed on the agenda.
At the same time, the first circle of power and the regimes hard core still include figures who have not been eliminated by Israel or the United States â a combination of fanatical elements with Russophile and Anglophile tendencies who are unwilling to concede any advantage. Internal divisions and conflicts are far deeper than what U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies imagine or analyze. In this context, it is still unclear who will ultimately be willing to “drink from the poisoned chalice.”
At the same time, it has nothing to offer at the negotiating table. In this context, giving time under the guise of diplomacy by Washington and Israel can effectively create an opportunity for propaganda exploitation, allowing Tehrans government to claim a kind of “victory” through narrative construction; as if there is no decisive will to bring the process of structural change to an end.
The regime, in order to preserve appearances, has kept this negotiation channel open and created a quasi-s
