Who is left running the Islamic Republic

1. 1+Mojtaba KhameneiSupreme LeaderHas the last word on war, the nuclear programme and every chair on this board.Emptied once since June 2025Wounded · 28 February 2026
2. 2Ahmad VahidiCommander of the IRGCCommands the Revolutionary Guards, the regime's strongest armed force and its biggest business empire.Emptied 2 times since June 2025In place
3. 3Mohsen RezaeiSecretary of the Supreme National Security CouncilRuns the Supreme National Security Council, where war policy is decided; the latest US letter, from Vice President Vance, went to him.Emptied once since June 2025In place
4. 4Ali AbdollahiChief of the General StaffHeads the General Staff of all the armed forces and the wartime command, Khatam al-Anbiya.Emptied 2 times since June 2025In place
5. 5Mohammad Bagher GhalibafSpeaker of ParliamentRuns parliament, which confirms ministers and passes the budget; led the regime's talks with the US in Islamabad in April 2026.In place
6. 6Masoud PezeshkianPresidentHeads the government: the budget, the ministries and the face the regime shows the world.In place
7. 7Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-EjeiChief JusticeHeads the judiciary: the courts, the prisons and the death sentences.In place
8. 8Esmail QaaniCommander of the Quds ForceCommands the Quds Force, which arms and directs the regime's militias abroad.In place
9. 9Majid MousaviCommander of the IRGC Aerospace ForceCommands the IRGC Aerospace Force: the regime's missiles and drones.Emptied once since June 2025In place
10. 10Ali AzmaeiCommander of the IRGC NavyCommands the IRGC Navy, the force that can threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.Emptied once since June 2025In place
11. 11Hossein TaebCommander of the BasijCommands the Basij, the militia the regime sends into the streets against protesters.Emptied 2 times since June 2025In place
12. 12Abbas AraghchiForeign MinisterThe foreign minister: the regime's voice in every negotiation.In place
13. 13Mohammad EslamiHead of the Atomic Energy OrganizationRuns the nuclear programme as head of the Atomic Energy Organization.In place
14. 14Ahmad-Reza RadanChief of PoliceCommands the police, the first force put in front of every protest.In place
15. 15Mehrdad AkhlaghiDefence MinisterThe defence minister: the factories that build the missiles and drones.In place
16. 16Amir HatamiCommander of the ArmyCommands the regular army, the Artesh.In place
17. 17Mohammad Mohammadi GolpayeganiHead of the Supreme Leader's officeRuns the Supreme Leader's office, which stands over every branch.In place
18. 18Mohammad-Ali Movahedi KermaniChairman of the Assembly of ExpertsChairs the Assembly of Experts, the body that names the Supreme Leader.In place
19. 19Sadegh Amoli LarijaniChairman of the Expediency CouncilChairs the Expediency Council, which settles fights between the branches.In place
20. 20Ahmad JannatiSecretary of the Guardian CouncilRuns the Guardian Council, which vets every candidate and every law.In place

marks a key player everywhere on the board.