An X account attributed to Mossad claimed on October 30 that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Political and Security Affairs, Ali Asghar Hejazi, and Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Major General Mohammad Pakpour have sidelined Khamenei and are “making decisions independently.”[1] CTP-ISW cannot verify this report. This claim follows reports that senior Iranian officials were unable to contact Khamenei during the Israel-Iran War.[2] Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf reportedly assumed at least partial command of the Iranian armed forces after Israeli airstrikes on June 12 killed several Iranian military leaders, possibly without Khamenei’s approval.[3] Both Hejazi and Pakpour hold senior positions in the regime. Hejazi is reportedly one of Khamenei’s closest advisers and is considered the “most powerful intelligence official” in Iran, according to five sources familiar with Khamenei’s decision-making process.[4] Pakpour previously served as the IRGC Ground Forces commander and Khamenei appointed Pakpour as IRGC commander after Israel killed former IRGC Commander Hossein Salami during the Israel-Iran War.[5] The X account attributed to Mossad previously accurately reported that Khamenei had appointed Ali Abdollahi Ali Abadi as the new Khatam ol Anbia Central Headquarters commander before the regime officially announced the appointment.[6] The account's claim that Pakpour and Hejazi have sidelined Khamenei, if true, would be extremely noteworthy as it would indicate that Khamenei is currently not the main decision-making authority in Iran.
Iranian media confirmed on October 30 that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appointed Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi as the new Armed Forces General Staff (AFGS) deputy chief.[25] Vahidi replaced Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, who had served in the position since August 2024.[26] Vahidi is a long-time member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and has previously held numerous senior military and political positions, including IRGC Quds Force commander, defense minister, and interior minister.[27] The United States and European Union sanctioned Vahidi in 2022 for his role in directing the Law Enforcement Command to suppress protests.[28] Vahidi’s appointment marks the first time in the Iranian regime's history that an IRGC officer is serving as the AFGS deputy chief under an Artesh officer, AFGS Chief Major General Abdol Rahim Mousavi.[29] The Artesh is Iran's conventional army that defends the country from outside threats, while the IRGC is an ideological force created after the 1979 Revolution to protect the Iranian regime from internal and external threats.[30] Both the Artesh and the IRGC report to Khamenei through the AFGS.[31]
Iran is taking steps to strengthen the defense of its civilian infrastructure to address vulnerabilities that Israel exploited during the Israel-Iran War. Passive Defense Organization head Brigadier General Gholamreza Jalali stated on October 31 that Iran will soon hold three exercises designed to test Iran's banking, public warning, and national communications systems against enemy attacks.[32] Jalali stated that the Passive Defense Organization has identified a significant number of weaknesses and is engaging with agencies across the Iranian government to develop countermeasures to address them.[33] Anti-regime groups, including a pro-Israeli hacker group, conducted several cyberattacks targeting Iran's banking and communications infrastructure during the war.[34] These exercises reflect Iran's heightened paranoia about Israeli infiltration following the war.
Iran and Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on October 30 to strengthen border security cooperation, which likely reflects Iranian concerns about the presence of Kurdish militant groups along its northwestern border. Iranian Deputy Interior Minister Ali Akbar Pourjamshidian met with Turkish Deputy Interior Minister Munir Karaloglu at the seventh meeting of the Iran-Turkey Security Working Group.[35] Iran and Turkey both perceive Kurdish armed groups in the region as a threat to their security. The MoU comes after the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is based in Kurdish-majority areas of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran, announced in May 2025 that it would dissolve itself and “end its armed struggle.”[36] The Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), which is the Iranian branch of the PKK, announced in May that it would not adhere to the PKK’s decision to dissolve.[37] PJAK seeks to establish an “autonomous Kurdish region within a federal political structure in Iran” and has previously targeted Iranian security forces.[38] Iran has previously accused Kurdish opposition groups of inciting protests in western Iran and cooperating with Israel to facilitate attacks in Iran.[39]
https://understandingwar.org/research/middle-east/iran-update-october-31-2025/
Our agents on the scene report that Messrs Hijazi and Pakpour are not letting the person they call the “Leader” in on matters and are making decisions independently. They understand that talking to him is pointless and for that reason, they have formed a replacement board of directors.
They tell the “Leader” that everything is fine – air defence is in place, launchers are ready, and the country has full capabilities. This while Iran's skies are open and defenceless. For the information of the Honourable Mr Sleepyhead. @khamenei_ir
Military junta gov’t soon