IRGC Commanders May Seize Control of Iran as Khamenei's Death Deepens Regime Crisis
Updated
Updated · RealClearWorld · Aug 1
IRGC Commanders May Seize Control of Iran as Khamenei's Death Deepens Regime Crisis
3 articles · Updated · RealClearWorld · Aug 1
Summary
Senior IRGC commanders are the focus of intensifying Tehran rumors that they may move to take direct control, though no imminent coup has been independently verified.
Ali Khamenei's death and Mojtaba Khamenei's weak standing have sharpened the sense of a power vacuum, while the Guards have steadily expanded their hold over security, intelligence, the economy and the military.
High inflation, a collapsing rial, electricity shortages, fuel rationing and water scarcity have compounded pressure on the system, with the unfinished January uprising still haunting the leadership after thousands were reportedly killed and jailed.
Any takeover could leave Mojtaba as a symbolic clerical figure or sideline the clergy outright, but the report argues military rule would likely bring harsher repression without fixing Iran's economic collapse or international isolation.
Europe's terrorist designation of the IRGC, followed by similar action from Britain, adds external pressure as coup talk underscores a broader view that the Islamic Republic's foundations are weakening.
With Iran's Supreme Leader gone, is the IRGC leaking coup rumors to test the waters, or are rivals exposing a secret power grab?
Could an official military takeover by the IRGC actually accelerate the complete collapse of Iran's economy and trigger unprecedented nationwide uprisings?
How will the global community react if Iran officially transforms from a clerical regime into a direct military dictatorship under the IRGC?