After the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the post of Supreme Leader of Iran was taken by his wounded son Mojtaba, but this led to the establishment of a new order in the country, writes Reuters.
After two months of war between the United States and Israel against Iran, the latter no longer has a single leader at the top of power, and this could lead to a toughening of Iran’s position, the media writes.
According to the agency, power in Iran was seized by the generals of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, they dominate, and Mojtaba Khamenei, although he remains at the top of power, only legitimizes their decisions without giving his own orders.
Power is concentrated in a narrow radical inner circle linked to the Supreme National Security Council, the Supreme Leader's Office and the IRGC, the agency's interlocutors say. According to media reports, this circle now determines both military strategy and major political decisions.
A senior Pakistani official with knowledge of the US-Iran talks (Pakistan is a mediator in the talks) told reporters that the Iranians are “reacting extremely slowly” and do not appear to have “a single decision-making structure.” Tehran sometimes needs two or three days to make decisions, he noted.
At the same time, analysts with whom journalists spoke believe that the conclusion of a peace agreement between Iran and the United States is hampered not by internal disputes in Tehran, but by the gap between what Washington offers and what the IRGC is ready to agree to.
