Iran apologises for strikes on Gulf states, but attacks continue: Who commands Guards amid Tehran power vacuum?
“The interim leadership council agreed yesterday [Friday] that no more attacks will be made on neighbouring countries and no missiles will be fired unless an attack on Iran originates from those countries,” he added, saying the issue should be resolved through diplomacy. However, despite the council’s decision, Iranian missiles and drones were reported targeting several Gulf states on Saturday as the conflict widened, triggering air defence responses in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has been at the forefront of the conflict, traditionally answers directly to the country’s supreme leader rather than the elected government. However, an Israeli airstrike at the start of the war killed Khamenei, leaving the position vacant and forcing Iran’s political leadership to rely on a temporary leadership council.
Under Iran’s constitution, a three-member interim council — including the president, judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei and a senior cleric chosen by the Assembly of Experts — assumes the powers of the supreme leader until a successor is appointed.
Who commands Iran’s military now?
Normal command structure
In Iran’s system, the Supreme Leader serves as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
He directly controls the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the regular army (Artesh) and the country’s missile forces.
The IRGC — which oversees Iran’s missile programme and many regional operations — normally answers only to the Supreme Leader, not to the elected government.
What happens if the Supreme Leader dies
Under Iran’s constitution, if the Supreme Leader dies or is unable to perform his duties, a temporary leadership council assumes his powers until a successor is chosen by the Assembly of Experts.
The council usually includes:
the President
the Chief Justice
a senior cleric selected by the Assembly of Experts
In theory, the council temporarily assumes the Supreme Leader’s authority, including command over the armed forces.
Analysts say the arrangement could complicate the chain of command during wartime. The powerful IRGC operates with significant autonomy, and battlefield decisions may still be taken by commanders on the ground.
President Masoud Pezeshkian’s reference to “miscommunication within the ranks” suggests that some recent attacks may not have been centrally coordinated as Iran’s leadership works to stabilise the command structure. Analysts also say Iran’s elected leadership has limited authority over military and strategic decisions, which are largely controlled by the office of the Supreme Leader and the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/iran-apologises-for-gulf-strikes-but-attacks-continue-who-commands-guards-amid-tehran-power-vacuum-1.500466490
