IRGC in Firm Control in Iran as Putin Maneuvers to End War

March 14—Intelligence sources as well as sources in the region say that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has won the battle for control of Iran and the conduct of the war, following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his replacement by his son Mojtaba as Supreme Leader.

These sources say that the new Supreme Leader appears to be a puppet of the IRGC hardline leadership that wants to continue the war, in an effort to reshape Iran's position in the region. As evidence, they cite the first public remarks of Khamenei on March 10, which were read by a news anchor on Iranian TV. The new Supreme Leader is variously reported to be recovering from wounds received in an Israeli attack, in a coma after having his leg amputated, or even dead. The general consensus, these sources report, was that he did not write the remarks, and that they were written by the IRGC.

Defiant Tone of Speech Signals IRGC Dominance

Western media reported on the defiant tone of the remarks, and Khamenei's declaration that all the martyrs, including his father, would have their vengeance inflicted on the enemies of Iran by its military—of which the IRGC is the most powerful element—and which sources say has not had its power severely diminished by U.S./Israeli bombardment.

These sources say that the strategy for the conduct of the war, which has Iran concentrating on hitting U.S. bases and allies in the Gulf, as well as closing the Strait of Hormuz and choking off the flow of oil from the region—sending market prices for oil well above $100 per barrel—comes from the IRGC. They control the deployment of Iran's missiles and drones.

Censored Demands in Khamenei’s Address

Most Western media and even social media, likely as a result of wartime censorship, did not report on the actual statements of demands and policy in the Khamenei remarks. The White House tried to cover up the actual content of the speech by claiming that CNN, the "fake news network," had served as Iranian propagandists for even reporting on the inconsequential parts ("the martyrs will be avenged").

The speech contained three demands, directed at the U.S. (and reportedly delivered via Switzerland to the State Department):

• The U.S. must withdraw all its forces from the Middle East, including from all its bases, within 30 days.
• The U.S. must lift every sanction imposed on Iran since 1979, including all oil sales restrictions, all banking restrictions, and technology transfer bans, within 60 days.
• The U.S. must agree to pay Iran for what he called the “economic war” that has cost Iran at least $800 billion since 1979 in lost revenues. The amount of reparations was set at $500 billion, to be paid over ten years.

If these demands are not met, Iran will take three specific actions:

• Iran will close the Strait of Hormuz to all commercial shipping on the expiration of the 30‑day deadline.
• Iran will activate "defensive military partnerships" with Russia and China, including the possibility of foreign bases on Iranian soil.
• Iran will exercise its right under international law to develop and deploy a full‑spectrum nuclear deterrent.

International Reaction and Russia’s Role

The State Department has yet to respond to these demands, but one can expect their total rejection—if not from State, then from the Trump White House.

Both the Russians and Chinese have already responded, while not supporting the specifics of the demands, vigorously defending Iran’s right to defend itself against foreign aggression and calling for an end to hostilities.

Whoever wrote Khamenei’s speech did so in consultation with the Russians and the Chinese, and consciously placed, especially, Russian President Vladimir Putin in a critical role to help bring this war to an end before it destroys the region and the world economy. Just prior to the speech, Putin had made himself available as a possible broker who could bring about a ceasefire and peace conference to address the issues raised by the war and ongoing conflicts in the region. He did so in a call initiated by President Donald Trump on March 9. That call also announced Trump's intentions to lift some sanctions on Russian oil sales to keep prices down.

Russia as a Potential Broker for Peace

While Russia does not intend to fight in any war on Iran's side, it is widely believed that Putin has made it known that Iran is under Russia's nuclear umbrella, as a way to discourage the lunatic Christian Zionists around Trump and messianic Zionists including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu from considering the use of nuclear weapons against Iran.

Russia's relationship with Iran is complicated. Putin is aware that it was U.S. National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski who orchestrated the fall of the Shah and the rise to power of fundamentalist Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979—who espoused a violent, syncretic Islamist teaching that could be used to promote conflict both inside and surrounding the then Soviet Union, and which was used to draw the Soviets into a disastrous war in Afghanistan. In Iranian parlance, the United States is the "Great Satan," while Russia is the "Lesser Satan."

Putin’s Diplomatic Path Toward Ceasefire and Stability

Putin is maneuvering to have a ceasefire halt all the attacks throughout the region and thereby prevent the bloody chaos that would follow a possible U.S. invasion of Iran, which would likely fail to force regime change in Tehran. He would then organize a regional peace conference that could also include China and would deal with the outstanding issues, including a new treaty with Iran that would allow its peaceful use of nuclear energy but block it from developing a weapon, and an end to Iranian support for proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas.

While it is unlikely that Iran would get "reparations," it would secure sanctions relief and participation in region‑wide economic and internal development plans that would create prosperity for Iranians.

"With each passing day," said a source, "the situation in the region comes closer to spinning out of control. Action to tamp this down must come soon, or we will see an exponential rise in the death toll. The word is that Trump has given Putin the green light to see if he can shut the war down. Trump realizes that it is hurting him politically, no matter what he says, in his usual twisted logic. It needs to end soon."