_WHAT’S HAPPENING_
With Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei absent from public view since his father's assassination in February — and possibly even dead — Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has consolidated control over the country's wartime government. Major General Ahmad Vahidi, the IRGC's new commander, has emerged as the de facto power broker in Tehran, directing both military operations and the regime's approach to peace negotiations with the United States.
The transition became evident when Iran's delegation abruptly pulled back from talks with the Trump team in Pakistan after Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi suggested flexibility on key issues.
Vahidi's allies in the Supreme National Security Council reportedly complained that Araghchi had exceeded his mandate, prompting Tehran to recall the negotiating team. Iran has since refused to return to the table.
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