Some officials in Israel and the U.S. believe that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is not ruling Iran, with control being exerted by the revolutionary guard (IRGC), according to a new report.
Speaking to the Jerusalem Post, Iran expert Nati Tuvian said Ahmad Vahidi, the IRGC commander appointed after the assassination of Mohammad Pakpour at the beginning of the war, as well as other leaders, are not "figures who are willing to mace concessions or be perceived as conceding."
"A week after the signing of the nuclear agreement with the Obama administration, the IRGC staged a show of force and launched ballistic missiles during a drill, writing on them in Hebrew that Israel should disappear from the face of the earth," he recalled.
President Donald Trump appeared to give a similar view about the role the revolutionary guard is playing as negotiations continue to be stalled.
In a social media post on Thursday he said Iranian officials are "having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is."
"They just don't know! The infighting is between the "Hardliners," who have been losing BADLY on the battlefield, and the 'Moderates,' who are not very moderate at all (but gaining respect!), is CRAZY! We have total control over the Strait of Hormuz. No ship can enter or leave without the approval of the United States Navy. It is 'Sealed up Tight,' until such time as Iran is able to make a DEAL!!!" he added in a social media publication on Thursday.
The New York Times reported that Khamenei "remains sharp and involved in running the country, which is being managed like a board of directors, together with IRGC commanders." However, he has not been seen or heard since the beginning of the war. Different reports claimed that he was severely injured in the attack in which his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed.
In the meantime, Israel has said it is ready to resume the war with Iran and awaits for a "green light" from the Trump administration.
Speaking after a security assessment on Thursday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the country is ready for defensive and offensive operations and "targets are marked."
Trump has not signaled willingness to resume fighting, extending the ceasefire this week to give the country more time to come with a "unified proposal" to end the war.
