The New Power Circle: Inside the Hardline IRGC 'Brotherhood' Controlling Post-Khamenei Iran
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The New Power Circle: Inside the Hardline IRGC 'Brotherhood' Controlling Post-Khamenei Iran Following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an early 2026 airstrike, many Western analysts predicted a chaotic succession crisis or the outright collapse of the Islamic Republic. Instead, a highly consolidated, fiercely ideological parallel power structure has stepped out of the shadows to run the country, fundamentally changing Iran's internal dynamics and its approach to regional security. While Ayatollah Khamenei’s 56-year-old son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was quickly installed as the formal Supreme Leader, a deeper investigation reveals that real decision-making has shifted. A small, fiercely loyal inner circle of current and former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders—described by regional experts as a permanent "brotherhood"—now commands the primary levers of Iranian state power. The Crucible of the "Band of Brothers" This new jun...