IRGC Commander Major General Ahmad Vahidi and his inner circle have seized control of Iran

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Factcheck:
Yes, per the Institute for the Study of War’s April 18, 2026 special report. IRGC Cmdr. Ahmad Vahidi and his circle have taken temporary control of Iran’s military actions and negotiating stance. IRGC Navy reversed FM Araghchi’s Strait of Hormuz “open” announcement, attacked commercial vessels (incl. tankers), and halted trafficβ€”directly contradicting diplomats. IRGC media publicly undermined Araghchi. Vahidi, long sanctioned over the 1994 AMIA bombing, is now the dominant voice amid the war.

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