Five Security Leaders Now Hold Iran’s Real Power Beyond the Supreme Leader

The question in Iran today extends beyond the extent of the Supreme Leader’s authority to whether the Islamic Republic has effectively transitioned from single-person rule to governance by an unofficial security council. This council is managed by military, security, and judicial figures who control key state institutions.

Reports from Western research centers and Iranian opposition media indicate that the regime’s resilience, despite targeted strikes against its leadership, is not solely due to the Supreme Leader’s institution. Instead, it reflects the rise of a collective decision-making network led by the Revolutionary Guard, security agencies, judiciary, and police, which have surpassed traditional religious bodies.

Five Men Controlling Key Institutions

The Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) states that the Iranian system is designed to endure beyond any individual leader. Actual authority is now distributed among five men who oversee the most sensitive institutions: Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, Revolutionary Guard Commander Ahmad Vahidi, Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, and Police Chief Ahmad Reza Radan.

The significance of this group lies not only in their names but in their roles. Qalibaf provides the regime with a political front, Zolqadr coordinates national security, Vahidi commands the most influential military force, Ejei manages the judiciary’s repressive arm, and Radan controls street-level enforcement through the police. This indicates Iran’s governance is not centered on one individual but on the intersection of five robust institutions.

Security Leaders Over Clerics

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who presides over Parliament, is not a conventional politician but a former commander in the Revolutionary Guard and police.

Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, also hails from the Revolutionary Guard and previously helped establish external networks that evolved into the Quds Force, according to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Ahmad Vahidi stands out as the most prominent military figure in this framework. He appeared publicly during preparations for Supreme Leader Khamenei’s funeral, signaling his elevated status within the decision-making system, as reported by the Associated Press.

Domestically, Mohseni Ejei and Radan represent the regime’s coercive defense line. Ejei leads the judiciary and trials, while Radan commands the police in confronting street protests.

This composition of the “unofficial council” reflects a profound shift where clerics have receded, and security officials have moved to the forefront.

Absent Supreme Leader and Present Revolutionary Guard

Opposition Iranian media reinforce this theory. Iran International reported that despite being declared the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei has remained absent from public appearances and direct speeches. The regime has only read messages attributed to him, raising questions about who actually wields power.

Another report from the same outlet stated that Mojtaba’s selection was made under pressure from the Revolutionary Guard on the Assembly of Experts, suggesting the transition was more a security compromise than a natural religious succession.

A Financial Times report notes that Iranian officials have recently sought to emphasize Mojtaba’s control over decision-making, amid widespread speculation that the Revolutionary Guard effectively manages the process.

Iran’s Multi-Headed Security State

The Washington Institute observes that since 1979, the Revolutionary Guard’s expansion has transformed Iran into a centralized security state. It now possesses multiple layers of current and retired officers capable of filling leadership gaps following targeted strikes against key figures.

This structure explains the regime’s ability to absorb attacks without rapid collapse.

Collective Security Leadership Model

Political analyst Mohammad Youssef Al-Nour told "Erem News" that Iran’s recent developments represent not just personnel changes but a systemic transformation.

Al-Nour explained that the traditional view linking the Islamic Republic’s stability solely to the Supreme Leader is no longer adequate. Recent years, especially after strikes targeting military and security leaders, have compelled the regime to distribute decision-making across several security and military institutions to ensure continuity even if the top leader is absent.

He added that Iran is gradually moving toward a “collective security leadership” model, where the Supreme Leader remains the constitutional and symbolic reference, while executive and security decisions are made by an unofficial council of the most influential institutional leaders.

Al-Nour concluded that this arrangement enhances the regime’s capacity to withstand assassinations and leadership voids but pushes it toward greater isolation and militarization, as security logic becomes the primary driver of decisions at the expense of politics and reform.