Who actually runs Iran right now? The key power players as Trump claims talks to 'top' official

"Nobody knows who to speech to," President Donald Trump said Tuesday astatine the White House, describing what helium portrayed arsenic some chaos and accidental wrong Iran’s leadership. "But we're really talking to the close people, and they privation to marque a woody truthful badly." 

His remarks travel arsenic the U.S. claims it is engaged successful talks with a "top" Iranian figure, adjacent arsenic Tehran publically denies negotiations are taking place.

The question present is not conscionable whether talks are happening, but whether anyone successful Tehran has the authorization to deliver. With strikes connected elder Iranian enactment and increasing interior fractures, Iran appears to beryllium operating little similar a centralized theocracy and much similar a wartime strategy tally by overlapping powerfulness centers, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) astatine its core.

Here’s who matters now.

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A State Department Rewards for Justice poster offers up to $10 cardinal for accusation connected cardinal leaders tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including Mojtaba Khamenei, Ali Asghar Hejazi, Yahya Rahim Safavi, Ali Larijani, Eskandar Momeni and Esmail Khatib. (State Department / Rewards for Justice)

The IRGC: The existent powerfulness down the state

Across quality assessments and caller reporting, 1 decision is consistent: the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has emerged arsenic the ascendant unit successful Iran’s governmental system.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, elder chap astatine the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the existent infinitesimal is accelerating a long-standing trend. 

"No uncertainty some the 12-Day warfare and this existent struggle person trimmed the commanding heights of the Islamic Republic's governmental and subject leadership," helium said.  "But it has besides expedited the inclination lines inherent successful Iranian politics, which is the dominance of the information forces and the ascendance of the IRGC."

"Yes, determination is much IRGC power implicit the authorities than ever before, but the authorities is weaker than ever earlier and much of a nationalist information rump authorities than ever before," helium said. 

"It shouldn't peculiarly preoccupy Washington, who is and isn't offering negotiations," Ben Taleblu added, "The preeminent preoccupation of Washington has to beryllium moving toward a subject triumph astatine a governmental win, and that does not travel by moving with the IRGC, but really beating them connected the battlefield and supporting the forces's astir arrayed against them successful Iran, which are the Iranian people."

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) subject unit are walking on Enghelab (Revolution) Avenue arsenic an Iranian Kheibar Surface-to-Surface rocket is being unveiled during the Ela Beit Al-Moghaddas (Al-Aqsa Mosque) subject rally successful Tehran, Iran, connected November 24, 2023. The IRGC is unveiling 2 caller missiles during the rally.  (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The bid room: Supreme National Security Council

If the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is the powerfulness successful Iran, the Supreme National Security Council appears to beryllium the mechanics done which that powerfulness is exercised.

The Supreme National Security Council is Iran’s apical forum for coordinating subject and overseas policy, bringing unneurotic elder Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders and authorities officials nether the authorization of the ultimate leader. It was established aft the 1979 gyration and has played a cardinal relation successful managing large crises, from atomic negotiations to wartime operations.

Iran appointed Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, a erstwhile Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, arsenic caput of the council, reinforcing its cardinal relation successful coordinating subject and governmental decisions, Reuters reported Tuesday.

A Middle Eastern authoritative root with cognition of the strategy described the structure:

"Right now, the powerfulness is successful the hands of the IRGC," the root said. "The Supreme National Security Council makes the decisions, of course, with the backing of the bulk of IRGC commanders."

A mourner holds a poster depicting Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, right, the successor to his precocious father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, arsenic ultimate leader, during the ceremonial procession for elder Iranian subject officials and civilians killed during the run successful Tehran, Iran, March 11, 2026. (Vahid Salemi/AP Photo)

Mojtabā Khamenei: The ultimate person successful name

Formally, Iran’s strategy centers connected Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. But his existent grip connected powerfulness remains uncertain.

Khamenei inherited the position’s sweeping authorization pursuing his father’s death, but "lacks the automatic authorization enjoyed by his father," the Middle Eastern authoritative said.

Moreover, helium has not appeared publically since taking powerfulness and lone has issued written statements, raising questions astir some his wellness and his quality to govern, aft reportedly being injured successful the archetypal Feb. 28 U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed his begetter and different elder Iranian leaders.

Brig. Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, caput of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, suggested his relation whitethorn presently beryllium limited: "For the clip being, since Mojtaba has been injured, it seems he's a hologram and not holding power. However, if Mojtaba recovers, helium volition beryllium progressive successful ruling Iran. He is not conscionable a figurehead. But anyhow, for the clip being, the power of Iran is successful the hands of the revolutionary guards."

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Ghalibaf: The antheral astatine the halfway of Trump’s claim

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf speaks during a nationalist lawsuit successful Iran successful 2024 (Hossein Beris / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP)

Trump’s connection that helium is speaking to a "top person" has focused attraction connected 1 sanction successful particular: Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

The White House is softly exploring Ghalibaf arsenic a imaginable interlocutor and adjacent a imaginable aboriginal leader, Axios reported.

A erstwhile Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commandant and existent parliament speaker, Ghalibaf represents a hybrid fig wrong the system, bridging subject credentials and governmental authority.

He was 1 of the cardinal information figures progressive successful the crackdown connected pupil protests successful July 1999 and has tally for president 4 times since 2005.

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Ghalibaf is expected to conscionable U.S. peculiar envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner successful the superior of Pakistan arsenic aboriginal arsenic the extremity of this week.

Ben Taleblu said: "Those who spot the ascendants of idiosyncratic similar Ghalibaf, who is an IRGC veteran, having extended powerfulness extracurricular his accepted civilian rule, person missed the decades of however personality, not profession, has been the driving force, has been a driving unit successful Iranian authorities for the past fewer decades. I would besides accidental those who interest astir the IRGC inheritance of the Supreme National Security Council are each that successful Iran today, whitethorn person missed the information that the past fewer Supreme National Security Council Secretaries, Shamkhani, Larijani, Ahmadian, each besides had IRGC backgrounds."

At the aforesaid time, Ghalibaf has publically denied engaging successful talks with the United States, and nary nonstop confirmation of negotiations has been provided by either side.

Araqchi: The diplomat carrying messages

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a associated property league with Russian Foreign Minister pursuing their talks successful Moscow connected April 18, 2025. (Getty Images)

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi remains 1 of the astir disposable figures internationally.

If talks were to instrumentality place, Araqchi apt would beryllium portion of the Iranian delegation alongside Ghalibaf, Reuters reported.

But analysts caution that his relation is limited. He whitethorn enactment arsenic a transmission for communication, but does not acceptable argumentation independently. 

Strategic decisions, peculiarly connected warfare and negotiations, are inactive shaped by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the broader information establishment.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, the caput of the judiciary and Alireza Arafi, lawman president of the Assembly of Experts, be the gathering of the interim enactment assembly of Iran successful an chartless location, amid the U.S.-Israel struggle with Iran, successful Iran, March 1, 2026.  (IRIB/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters)

The wider powerfulness circle: generals, clerics and enforcers

Beyond the header figures, a broader radical of officials who proceed to signifier Iran’s absorption tin beryllium identified.

These see Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps main Ahmad Vahidi, Quds Force commandant Esmail Qaani, naval commandant Alireza Tangsiri, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, President Masoud Pezeshkian, and elder clerical and governmental figures specified arsenic Saeed Jalili and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi.

Each represents a antithetic pillar of the system: subject power, determination proxy operations, power of strategical waterways, interior repression and spiritual legitimacy.

Together, they signifier what analysts picture arsenic a fragmented but resilient governing network.

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A billboard depicting Iran's ultimate leaders since 1979: (L to R) Ayatollahs Ruhollah Khomeini (until 1989), Ali Khamenei (until 2026), and Mojtaba Khamenei (incumbent) is displayed supra a road successful Tehran connected March 10, 2026. Iran marked the assignment of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to regenerate his begetter arsenic its ultimate person connected March 9, 2026.  (AFP/Via Getty Images)

Despite interior divisions, Iran’s enactment remains agreed connected 1 halfway objective: endurance of the regime.

Kuperwasser described the split: "There are the much pragmatic elites, similar Araghchi, Rouhani, and Zarif. There are besides the hardliners who person usually held the precocious manus … But they are agreed successful 1 contented — that the authorities should past and enactment successful power."
Iran’s U.N. ngo did not respond to a petition for remark successful clip for publication.