Hard-line general steers Iran war talks

Dubai: As critical negotiations with the US hang in the balance, hard-line Iranian Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has seized a central position in the country’s power structure. Vahidi, who commands the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, has assumed a leading role in shaping Iran’s unyielding stance in talks to end the war, experts say.

He belongs to a selective clique in direct contact with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. With the Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei secluded, analysts indicate hard-line military figures are using crisis governance to reshape political succession and consolidate power over state institutions.

Vahidi, a veteran operative who previously commanded the external Quds Force, carries a controversial history, including allegations of orchestrating the 1994 Jewish centre bombing in Argentina and leading violent domestic crackdowns in 2022. Follow­ing the failure of April peace talks hosted by Pakistan, Vahidi has superseded moderate Iranian diplomats to become the main interlocutor for international mediators. 

His confrontational appro­ach poses a significant challenge to US negotiators, as experts warn the regime’s decision-making apparatus has transformed into an uncompromising military-led coalition.