Why Iran Has Not Fallen Despite Dozens of Its Figures Being Killed by the US and Israel, Western Media Say

Tehran — An Israeli strike on February 28 that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei briefly left a vacuum at the apex of power and altered the corridors of authority in Tehran. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was named as his successor, but reports indicate that the 56-year-old cleric does not wield the same influence as his father. Instead, a small group of senior male elites, many of whom are senior commanders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), currently guide decision-making in Iran. According to a New York Times report, ‘senior Iranian officials say that all major decisions are run by the 56-year-old heir. However, decision-making is carried out by more than one person.’ The report adds that a ‘brotherhood’ of veterans who have been involved since the brutal eight-year war with Iraq, which began in 1980, plays a significant role in decision-making.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Founded in 1979 to protect the Islamic Revolution and its leader, the IRGC has promoted several of these commanders to general ranks when they were still in their late 20s or early 30s. Western support for Iraq during the war convinced Tehran that Iran must chart its own course, regardless of risk. After the war with Iraq ended, these commanders went on to control intelligence or security services.