Ambitious, Authoritarian And Talking To Trump? The Hard-liners Rising In Iran

Rather than prosecute assemblage studies aliases activity successful his father’s shop, he decided to subordinate nan Revolutionary Guard astatine property 18 and fought successful nan Iran-Iraq war. In his autobiography, he wrote that he fundamentally grew up during nan sadistic eight-year conflict that near hundreds of thousands dead, and he quickly roseate done nan ranks to go a commander. His brother, Hassan, was killed successful nan war.

After nan war, Iran’s ultimate leader astatine nan time, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, appointed Ghalibaf, who is simply a brigadier general, to beryllium nan caput of nan Revolutionary Guard’s aerial force. In 1997, Ghalibaf traveled to France to get a pilot’s certification to alert Airbus planes, and he has flown planes for Iran’s nationalist carrier, Iran Air, according to his autobiography.

Ghalibaf besides was nan country’s main of constabulary and has overseen crackdowns connected protests and soul dissent. During his 12-year tenure arsenic politician of Tehran, Ghalibaf was accused of corruption, which he denied.

He besides ran for president 4 times. In 2005, Ghalibaf wore a achromatic suit astatine immoderate run events, apparently to coming a much mean image, successful stark opposition to nan mostly dour manner consciousness of astir politicians. The move sewage him noticed, but it was besides bullied by some.

“He has ever had nan ambition to beryllium nan caput of nan executive branch and has lobbied for years for Mr. Mojtaba Khamenei to beryllium nan ultimate leader,” said Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoeini, a erstwhile Iranian parliamentarian who worked pinch Ghalibaf erstwhile he was a leader successful Iran and is now a chap astatine George Mason University successful Fairfax, Virginia.

That ambition is expected to travel to nan fore aft Khamenei was appointed ultimate leader this period aft his father, Ali Khamenei, was assassinated connected Feb. 28. He has not issued a video aliases audio connection since he took nan highest position successful nan country.

“Mojtaba reportedly has agelong maintained a very adjacent narration pinch Tehran Mayor and statesmanlike hopeful Mohammad Baqr Qalibaf; Mojtaba was reportedly nan ‘backbone’ of Qalibaf’s past and continuing predetermination campaigns,” a 2008 American diplomatic cablegram published by WikiLeaks, which uses a different transliteration for nan parliament speaker’s past name, read. “Mojtaba is said to thief Qalibaf arsenic an advisor, financier, and supplier of senior-level governmental support. His support for and closeness to Qalibaf reportedly remains undiminished.”

Other men person besides emerged arsenic cardinal figures successful nan country’s powerfulness structure.

Until he died successful a subject onslaught past week, Ali Larijani, nan caput of nan Supreme National Security Council, was nan fig whom galore observers pointed to arsenic nan de facto leader of nan country. He was replaced Tuesday by Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, a hard-line erstwhile Revolutionary Guard commandant who has besides held apical information posts.

Another prominent figure is Ahmad Vahidi, who was appointed caput of nan Revolutionary Guard this period aft his predecessor was killed during nan opening salvo of nan warfare connected Feb. 28. Vahidi, a hard-liner who antecedently was some defense and interior curate and is now starring nan warfare effort, was sanctioned by nan U.S. Treasury successful 2022 for his domiciled successful a bloody crackdown connected protests astatine nan time.

Ahmad Vahidi, nan caller leader of nan Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, successful Tehran successful July.Morteza Nikoubazl / NurPhoto via Getty Images file

The Treasury besides said Vahidi oversaw nan bombing of a Jewish organization halfway successful Buenos Aires, Argentina, successful 1994 that killed 85 group and wounded hundreds more. Interpol issued a reddish announcement for Vahidi because of his alleged domiciled successful nan bombing.

The emergence of Ghalibaf, Zolghadr and Vahidi in apical activity roles successful nan Islamic Republic — on pinch nan absence of Mojtaba Khamenei — signals a displacement toward hard-line elements of nan Revolutionary Guards efficaciously moving nan country, said Mousavi Khoeini, who is still successful touch pinch officials successful Iran.

“The powerfulness is successful nan hands of nan Revolutionary Guard and nan astir extremist faction of nan Revolutionary Guard,” he said.

He added: “Vahidi is successful complaint of nan country. Ghalibaf doesn’t person nan spot to face him.”

It is Vahidi, Mousavi Khoeini said, who pushed to proceed attacks against location countries, contempt guidance from different apical officials, for illustration President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The existent and erstwhile Guard commanders are apt to support their hard-line posture successful immoderate dealings pinch nan U.S. to extremity nan warfare and, if they past nan conflict, will beryllium ruthless successful dealing pinch immoderate soul dissent, immoderate observers say.

The developments are an denotation of “the gradual translator of nan Islamic Republic into a subject dictatorship, albeit 1 retaining a clerical figure, Mr. Mojtaba Khamenei, arsenic a ceremonial caput of authorities and leader of nan revolution,” said Alfoneh, of nan Arab Gulf States Institute.