Who Actually Governs Iran? The IRGC's Wartime Takeover and the Invisible Supreme Leader

Iran's supreme leadership structure has undergone an extraordinary shift since Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in airstrikes on February 28, 2026. His son and chosen successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, holds the title of Supreme Leader but exercises virtually no visible power. The real authority now belongs to a military junta centered on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its commander, Ahmad Vahidi.

Mojtaba Khamenei: The Invisible Supreme Leader

Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old second son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was officially appointed as Iran's third Supreme Leader by the Assembly of Experts on March 8–9, 2026, one week after his father's death . Before his appointment, he operated as a behind-the-scenes power broker with strong ties to the IRGC and elite circles, but never held a formal government post, gave public speeches, or participated in interviews .

What makes his tenure unprecedented is his total absence from public view. Multiple authoritative news sources confirm:

• He has not appeared in public at all since being named Supreme Leader. CNN noted as early as mid-March that he "continues to remain largely out of sight" , and by late April reported that "more than six weeks have passed… yet he remains unseen and unheard by the public" .
• His health condition is a mystery, and it is "unclear how much power he wields" .
• The only communication attributed to him has been a single lengthy statement read on state television in mid-March, his first and only public message . By late April, Reuters reported his role was "now one of…" endorsement rather than command, the sentence fragment suggesting his authority has been hollowed out .
• Unlike his father, who was the singular, unquestioned final authority on war, peace, and strategic matters, Mojtaba "does not possess the automatic authority his father held" . The New York Times described him as "an enigmatic presence" whose title does not translate into actual control .

The IRGC War Council: Actual Governing Authority

Real power has shifted decisively to a military junta centered on the IRGC. The key actors, as reported by Reuters, the New York Times, and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, include :

Who	Role and Background
IRGC War Council	A military junta that emerged as the de facto leadership during the war. The IRGC effectively seized wartime power, blunting the Supreme Leader's role and forming its own decision-making body .
Ahmad Vahidi	Current head of the Revolutionary Guards, appointed after his two predecessors were killed in the conflict. A long-time IRGC veteran, former Qods Force commander, and former defense minister, he is widely seen as the most powerful single figure in Iran . Reports between late March and April 2026 show Vahidi, alongside other senior commanders, practically controlling the country through a military council .
Fragmented civilian leadership	Top civilian figures have been eliminated. Former President Ebrahim Raisi died in a 2024 helicopter crash . Parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani was killed on March 17, 2026 . The three-member interim council formed immediately after Ali Khamenei's death, which included Ayatollah Alireza Arafi and President Masoud Pezeshkian, was effectively sidelined as the war escalated .

A Shift from Singular Clerical Rule to Collective Military Command

Under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the system was structured around a figure who stood above all institutions and retained the final say on almost all strategic matters . That system has fractured. As Time magazine put it, "Iran's Supreme Leader No Longer Reigns Supreme" . The Reuters headline is blunter: "Iran's Guards seize wartime power, blunting Supreme Leader's role" . The New York Times reported that instead of the Supreme Leader, "a seasoned group of commanders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, along with their allies, have emerged as the principal decision-makers on issues related to security, warfare, and diplomacy" .

Analyses from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and Wikipedia's consolidated report on Iranian de facto leadership also converge on the same conclusion: the IRGC runs Iran, and the Supreme Leader serves as a formal figurehead who is neither seen nor heard .

Key Takeaways

• Mojtaba Khamenei is the titular Supreme Leader but is functionally isolated and politically marginalized. He holds the title under Iran's constitution but does not exercise the command authority his father held.
• The IRGC War Council and General Ahmad Vahidi are now the effective government. The military junta issues commands on war and strategy, manages the Strait of Hormuz, and controls the nuclear agenda .
• Civilian institutions are weakened or decapitated. With President Raisi, Speaker Larijani, and other top clerics dead, the traditional guardians of the Islamic Republic's civilian power structure have been hollowed out .