Further signs of turmoil are emerging in Iran’s U.S. negotiating team as hardliner Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf looks set to be replaced by a veteran conservative known for rejecting nuclear concessions, according to reports.

Iran International reported April 24 that Saeed Jalili, 60 — who already leads what has been described as a "shadow government" — is expected to succeed Ghalibaf following his sudden departure amid internal disputes.

Jalili also heads Iran’s ultra-hardline faction known as the Stability Front (Paydari), which is known to be a "bastion of ultraconservatism in Iran," according to reports.

Ali Safavi, an official with the Iranian opposition coalition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told Fox News Digital that Jalili "has evolved from a nuclear negotiator to an influential actor within the regime."

TRUMP'S LATEST HIRES AND FIRES RANKLE IRAN HAWKS AS NEW PRESIDENT SUGGESTS NUCLEAR DEAL

Ghalibaf was reportedly forced to step down after attempting to bring the nuclear issue into talks with Washington, a move that triggered backlash within Iran’s political establishment.

President Donald Trump had called off plans for U.S. envoys to travel to Pakistan for peace talks with Iran on April 25.

The rivalry between Jalili and Ghalibaf is said to span more than a decade and intensified during the 2024 elections, when Jalili refused to step aside, contributing to the victory of President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Safavi said, "The increased visibility of latent divisions stems from recurring nationwide uprisings, deep economic crises and the pressures of war, all of which have intensified internal feuding.

"Far from signaling transformation, these developments reflect accelerating erosion and mounting pressure, deepening fractures and leaving the regime ever weaker and more vulnerable," he added.

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Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is also seeking a continued leading role in negotiations, highlighting competing centers of influence over Iran’s diplomatic strategy, sources said.

Araghchi is in Islamabad, Pakistan, after returning from a short trip to Muscat, Oman, where he is holding high-level diplomatic talks on the conflict. Reports indicate Araghchi will travel to Moscow.

Jalili’s potential appointment, however, signals a hardening of Iran’s stance, with more emphasis on resistance over compromise.

"Within this regime, there are a number of constants espoused by all factions," Safavi said before highlighting that these were "repression, the export of terrorism and the pursuit of nuclear weapons."

"The factions all ultimately move along a common path: the preservation of power. They differ in methods, not in objectives," Safavi cautioned.

IRANIAN-AMERICANS AND DISSIDENTS RALLIED AGAINST 'MURDEROUS REGIME AGENTS' AS IRAN'S PRESIDENT ADDRESSED UNGA

Jalili, meanwhile, served as Iran’s top nuclear negotiator from 2007 to 2013 under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and later ran for president three times. He also served as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

A former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Jalili lost his right leg at 21 during the Iran-Iraq War, earning him the title of "Living Martyr".

The Paydari Front, which he is associated with, opposes engagement with the West — particularly the 2015 nuclear deal — and advocates a doctrine of "active resistance."

During Hassan Rouhani’s presidency, Jalili also established a "shadow government" to counter the administration’s policies, especially the nuclear deal.

On April 7, he wrote on X: "Yes — ‘infrastructure’ is on the verge of collapse; the infrastructure of domination and the American order. And after that, a better foundation will be built."

A day earlier, he posted: "‘Shut up’ is not the appropriate response to Trump’s ramblings; let him speak more. Nothing is more effective in laying bare the true nature of the United States than Trump’s outbursts."

"In dealing with this regime," Safavi said, "we must bear in mind that in the 45 years since the mullahs consolidated their rule in 1981 by crushing all peaceful political life, so-called reformists have governed for nearly half that time — presiding over some of its darkest crimes."

"These include the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners, the assassination of dissidents abroad, the chain murders of intellectuals inside Iran and the relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons."

Days after Iran’s leadership projected a unified front, undermining the long-cited moderate-vs.-hardliner divide, President Donald Trump canceled planned talks with Tehran in Islamabad, Pakistan, citing "infighting and confusion" inside the regime.

Iranian American experts argue that social media posts from Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, President Masoud Pezeshkian and other key officials reveal that the "good cop, bad cop" tactic that the regime exploited to deceive adversaries and secure generous concessions in nuclear negotiations has collapsed.

In a Truth Social post Saturday, Trump announced he canceled the trip, citing "too much time wasted on traveling" and "too much work!"

"Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their ‘leadership,'" the president added, noting "nobody knows who is in charge, including them."

EXILED PRINCE LOOKS TO LEAD IRANIAN PEOPLE IN ENDING ISLAMIC REPUBLIC: 'OUR BERLIN WALL MOMENT'

"Also, we have all the cards, they have none!" Trump wrote. "If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!"

The implosion of the hardline-moderate dichotomy within the regime could have profound consequences for Trump’s approach to the atomic talks in Islamabad, experts said. Trump appeared to allude to a blurry divide between factions within Iran last week.

"Iran is having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is! They just don’t know! The infighting is between the ‘Hardliners,’ who have been losing BADLY on the battlefield, and the ‘Moderates,’ who are not very moderate at all (but gaining respect!), and it is CRAZY!" Trump wrote in an X post Thursday.

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Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei quickly fired back, claiming "due to the strange unity created among compatriots, a fracture has occurred in the enemy."

"With practical gratitude for this blessing, cohesion has become even greater and more steel-like, and the enemies will become more wretched and diminished," Khamenei wrote. "The enemy's media operations, by targeting the minds and psyches of the people, intend to undermine national unity and security; may our negligence not allow this sinister intent to come to fruition."

Mariam Memarsadeghi, a senior fellow at The Macdonald-Laurier Institute and founder and director of the Cyrus Forum for Iran's Future, told Fox News Digital the Islamic Republic has, for decades, fooled Western policymakers by sending moderates to negotiations as a "window dressing for its terror and subjugation."

KHAMENEI’S DEATH OPENS UNCERTAIN CHAPTER FOR IRAN’S ENTRENCHED THEOCRACY

The officials would then tell their counterparts that they are under pressure from hardliners, implying that the West must make concessions to strengthen them internally.

"Because of the war, the Trump administration is in a remarkably advantageous situation vis-à-vis the imperial terror state, one never before attempted, much less achieved," Memarsadeghi said. 

"But every time Trump says regime change has already happened, he denies America the opportunity to finally, truly be rid of the world’s top sponsor of terror and the existential threat it poses not just to the people of Iran but to all the world."

Navid Mohebbi, who worked as a Persian media analyst for the State Department's Public Affairs Bureau, cautioned that while rivalries and factions do exist within the Islamic Republic, they are united on the regime’s core principles.

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"Their disagreements are primarily over tactics, not fundamental direction," Mohebbi told Fox News Digital, stressing that real decision-making power in Iran has always rested with the supreme leader and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

"So-called moderates have never had the final say on key strategic issues and are often used to soften the regime’s image abroad," he said. "From the perspective of the Iranian people, there has been little difference. Across administrations labeled 'moderate' or 'hardline,' the system has consistently relied on repression."

Mohebbi cited the example of Iranian regime President Hassan Rouhani, who presented himself as a moderate but whose security forces violently killed 1,500 protesters during the November 2019 uprising.

IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER SAYS NUCLEAR TALKS WITH TRUMP ADMIN WOULD NOT BE 'WISE'

"The same pattern has continued under Masoud Pezeshkian in the January 2026 protest massacre, reinforcing the reality that these labels have not translated into meaningful change on the ground," he said.

A regional official, however, insisted there are clashes between moderates and hardliners in Iran. The official told Fox News Digital that Pezeshkian is a moderate, but he "could not even make good on his campaign promise regarding internet freedom. To be honest, he’s not even been able to do s---.

"The joint reaction by the heads of the three branches of power was in response to Trump’s reference to the issue of rift and also to the fact that there are indeed hardliners and moderates," the official added. 

"Look, whenever Iran wants to make concessions, they throw moderates under the bus so that the moderates make a deal, and then, the hardliners blame them for the same concessions all of them had agreed to make."

Lawdan Bazargan, who was imprisoned by the Islamic Republic in the 1980s for her political dissident activities, told Fox News Digital that what officials are seeing now is not the disappearance of the divide, but the exposure of what that divide actually was.

"In reality, all of these figures — Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf [speaker of Iran’s parliament], Saeed Jalili [member of the Expediency Discernment Council], Pezeshkian, Ahmad Vahidi [head of the IRGC], Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei [head of Iran’s judiciary] — operate within the same ideological framework," Bazargan said. 

"They are all committed to the preservation of the system, the projection of power in the region and confrontation with what they define as ‘the forces of evil,’ namely the United States and Israel."

As Israel and Lebanon return to U.S.-brokered talks Thursday in Washington, the central question is the one that has derailed every previous attempt at a lasting deal: What happens to Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terror organization?

An Israeli official told Fox News Digital that the meeting, hosted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, will include senior U.S. officials — U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa and Counselor Michael Needham — alongside Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh.

A State Department spokesperson called the initial April 14 meeting "productive." "We will continue to facilitate direct, good-faith discussions between the two governments," the spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

The meeting comes as a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire, reached in mid-April, is holding for now, offering what officials describe as a narrow window for diplomacy after weeks of cross-border fighting.

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But the truce has not resolved the underlying conflict — only paused it.

The latest escalation began March 2, when Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel’s northern border, opening a new front in the regional war days after U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran Feb. 28, according to prior reporting.

Israel responded with sustained air and ground operations across southern Lebanon aimed at pushing Hezbollah forces away from the border, while Hezbollah continued firing rockets and drones into northern Israel.

The fighting displaced more than a million people in Lebanon and forced Israeli civilians into shelters, underscoring the scale of the escalation.

MACRON UNDER FIRE OVER IRAN, HEZBOLLAH POLICY AS TRUMP ADMIN HOSTS ISRAEL-LEBANON TALKS

Now, even as the guns have temporarily quieted, the core conditions that led to the war remain unchanged — leaving negotiators to grapple with the same unresolved question at the heart of the conflict.

A senior U.S. official familiar with the negotiations described the core dilemma: Hezbollah will not agree to disarm without a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, while Israel will not withdraw without Hezbollah disarming.

International mechanisms — including the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and a multilateral coordination group — have been working to bridge that gap since late 2024, without success.

The same official also indicated that Lebanon’s president, Joseph Aoun, is not necessarily the decisive factor in these discussions, but Nabih Berri, speaker of the nation's House, is the one with true authority, not Aoun.

At the same time, Hezbollah has remained opposed to any contact with Israel and continues to exert significant influence over Lebanon’s political and security decisions, complicating U.S. efforts to advance talks.

Inside Lebanon, however, frustration with Hezbollah appears to be growing.

ISRAEL 'MOVING FORWARD' ON POSSIBLE HEZBOLLAH CEASE-FIRE, OFFICIAL SAYS

"There is a growing sense across Lebanon that any U.S.-brokered negotiation track could be a rare opportunity to restore balance to the state," said Rami Naeem, a Lebanese journalist and analyst with Jusoor News.

"Hezbollah’s continued military and political dominance is widely seen as a central driver of the collapse, and even a gradual or indirect opening with Israel could help rebuild state institutions and their role."

Mariam Kasrawani, a Lebanese analyst at Jusoor News, said criticism is becoming more explicit.

"It is becoming harder to ignore the depth of the crisis," she said. "Some are now saying it plainly: Hezbollah has taken Lebanon as a whole — and Shia in particular — to a very bad place."

"I’m not at all optimistic," said Barak Seener of the Henry Jackson Society think tank.

"Lebanon is far too weak and divided to force Hezbollah to disarm. And Hezbollah… is so enmeshed in Lebanon’s political system. Any attempt to disarm Hezbollah risks civil war."

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Instead, Seener said, the talks are focused on limited, tactical goals.

"Talks are focused on ceasefire expansion, Hezbollah withdrawal from border zones, and an expanded presence of the Lebanese army… talks are not at all focused on disarmament."

That gap underscores what he described as the real nature of the process.

"I think that these talks are doomed to failure," Seener said. "I think Israel is currently engaged in conflict management."

Adding to the uncertainty are reports from the Saudi daily Asharq Al-Awsat that the U.S. may press Lebanon to repeal its 1955 Israel Boycott Law, which bans contact with Israelis.

The report frames such a move as a step toward normalization but provides no details and has not been confirmed by U.S. or Lebanese officials.

Fox News Digital reached out for comment from the State Department and the Lebanese Embassy in D.C. but did not receive a response in time for publication.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran will no longer execute eight women linked to anti-regime protests after he urged their release a day earlier.

"Very good news! I have just been informed that the eight women protestors who were going to be executed tonight in Iran will no longer be killed," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. 

Four of the women will reportedly be released immediately, while the remaining four will serve one-month prison sentences. 

The president thanked Iran for halting the executions, saying, "I very much appreciate that Iran, and its leaders, respected my request."

FREED IRANIAN PRISONER SAYS ‘IN TRUMP, THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC HAS MET ITS MATCH’

Trump previously said on social media Tuesday that releasing the women could work in Iran’s favor during negotiations scheduled later that day, when he ultimately announced an extension of a two-week ceasefire.

"To the Iranian leaders, who will soon be in negotiations with my representatives: I would greatly appreciate the release of these women," Trump said Tuesday, responding to an activist’s post on X that included photos of eight unidentified women.

"I am sure that they will respect the fact that you did so. Please do them no harm! Would be a great start to our negotiations!!!"

Iran’s judiciary, however, quickly responded to Trump’s claims, denying that the women ever faced execution, according to Middle East-focused media outlet New Arab. 

"Trump was misled once again by fake news," the judiciary's official Mizan Online website said. "The women who were claimed to be on the verge of execution, some of them have been released, while others face charges that, if convictions are upheld, would at most result in imprisonment."

IRAN TO EXECUTE FIRST FEMALE PROTESTER TIED TO ANTI-REGIME UNREST

According to human rights groups, Iran reportedly last week scheduled the execution of a female protester linked to the January uprising, marking Tehran’s first publicly reported death penalty case involving a woman. 

She was identified as Bita Hemmati and is among the eight women Trump said will no longer face capital punishment. 

Hemmati was originally sentenced in a collective case alongside her husband and neighbors, the National Council of Resistance of Iran said. 

On Jan. 8 and Jan. 9, the group allegedly threw objects such as concrete blocks and incendiary materials from rooftops, injured security forces and engaged in anti-regime "propaganda" in an effort to undermine security, according to federal authorities. 

One Iranian journalist reported the identities of the other women in a post on X, claiming the defendants are as young as 16 years old.

One victim in particular, identified as Mahboubeh Shabani, 33, was accused of providing assistance to demonstrators injured during January’s uprising, according to the Norway-based Hengaw rights group.

The women’s rulings are among the latest in a series of punishments issued amid a broader government crackdown on dissent.

Rights groups say thousands of protesters may have been killed since demonstrations erupted earlier this year. 

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack is pushing back after backlash over remarks seen as equating Israel with Hezbollah, insisting his comments reflect "realism" and not a change in U.S. policy.

Barrack appeared to equate America’s closest ally in the Middle East with a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, suggested Turkey should soon regain access to the F-35 program despite its purchase of Russia’s S-400 system, and argued that only "powerful leadership regimes" have succeeded in the region.

In exclusive written answers to Fox News Digital’s questions, Barrack rejected accusations that he was softening the administration’s stance toward Hezbollah or Iran, and argued that President Donald Trump’s "peace through strength" approach requires a more pragmatic reading of the Middle East.

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Fox News Digital: During your remarks at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum Friday, you described the Israel–Hezbollah ceasefire as a "time out" and said that "everybody has been equally untrustworthy." How do you reconcile that characterization with the U.S. designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization? 

Does your statement that the goal is "not killing Hezbollah" reflect any shift from the previous "maximum pressure" approach toward a strategy of containment or political inclusion?

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack: Let me be very clear about my remarks at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on April 17.

When I described the Israel–Hezbollah ceasefire as a ‘time out’ and said that ‘everybody has been equally untrustworthy,’ I was simply stating the obvious reality on the ground. This is realism, not criticism of any side. 

The November 2024 ceasefire and the recent April 2026 ceasefire have repeatedly proven fragile because all parties — Israel, Hezbollah and their backers — have tested the limits in the past. Historical patterns of violations, rearmament and proxy escalation confirm that mutual mistrust is the core challenge.

That mutual mistrust is exactly why this administration brokered the ceasefire in the first place: to stop the senseless killing, create breathing room and build a monitored, enforceable path forward that strengthens Lebanese sovereignty and Israeli security.

This characterization in no way softens our ironclad position: Hezbollah is a designated terrorist organization responsible for the deaths of Americans and countless acts of destabilization. 

We have never trusted them. We acknowledge that within Lebanon itself, the Hezbollah political party is differentiated from Hezbollah the terrorist group, which holds parliamentary seats within the Lebanese government. Political trust in that regard will have to be earned.

My point was straightforward: durable peace requires confronting that mistrust head-on, not pretending it does not exist. This approach fully supports President Trump’s policy of maximum pressure on Iran and its proxies while delivering real results: positioning us to degrade Hezbollah’s terrorist capabilities through a combination of enforcement, Lebanese state authority and the renewal of an economy that can provide a new era of hope to Lebanese communities in both the north and south.

On the goal not being ‘killing Hezbollah,’ I stand by every word. After decades in the region, you cannot eliminate an embedded militia solely by kinetic means when a sovereign state like Iran continues to arm and fund it. Pure ‘mowing the lawn’ has never worked. To the contrary, it often fuels recruitment and prolongs conflict.

Our objective has always been to degrade Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure to the point where diplomacy and a sovereign Lebanese government can take over under Lebanon’s confessional system, reflecting Christian, Sunni and Shiite interests. This is not a shift toward containment or political inclusion of a terrorist group. It is the same ‘maximum pressure plus smart diplomacy’ playbook this administration has used successfully against ISIS and other threats.

We continue to back Israel’s right to defend itself decisively, as Secretary Rubio explicitly affirmed in the current ceasefire terms, while also pushing for an end to the idiocy of endless war. Stopping the bleeding first, then enforcing the win. That is exactly what President Trump and Secretary Rubio achieved with this ceasefire.

No policy changes whatsoever. Just clear, effective execution.

TRUMP’S GAMBLE IN NORMALIZING RELATIONS WITH SYRIA IN THE FACE OF IRAN: ‘HIGH-RISK, HIGH-REWARD’

Fox News Digital: You described the dispute over Turkey’s participation in the F-35 program as "insane" and suggested the Russian S-400 issue could be resolved within months.

What specific safeguards regarding possession and operability are under consideration to satisfy Section 1245 of the National Defense Authorization Act and address concerns that the Russian S-400 system could compromise sensitive F-35 technology? How do you respond to members of Congress who have threatened to oppose F-16 upgrades or any future F-35 transfer to Turkey until your comments regarding Hezbollah and Israel are clarified?

(For example, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who responded directly to Barrack’s April 2026 remarks by saying Turkey would not receive either F-35s or F-16s. Scott wrote that Turkey "funds Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, hates Israel, and loves Russia and Iran," adding: "Good luck buying F-35s, F-16s, and other American-made defense platforms.)

Barrack: Calling the prolonged impasse "insane" is blunt common sense. It highlights exactly why the administration is right to pursue a resolution: NATO unity against Russia and China is a core U.S. national security interest.

Turkey remains a vital ally, hosting critical U.S. assets, contributing to NATO missions and countering shared threats. Sanctions and exclusion from the F-35 program, triggered by the S-400 purchase, have strained ties unnecessarily while Russia benefits from the wedge.

The S-400 issue can and should be resolved within months through surgical diplomacy from Secretary Rubio, grounded in the strong personal relationship between President Trump and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Let me be explicit: any resolution will fully satisfy Section 1245 of the NDAA. That means verifiable cessation of possession and operability of the Russian S-400 system, with formal certifications from the secretaries of Defense and State confirming there is no risk of compromise to sensitive F-35 technology.

There will be no shortcuts on American security standards. What I am signaling is that real breakthroughs are imminent: restoring Turkey’s role in the F-35 ecosystem, strengthening NATO interoperability, boosting U.S. industry and denying Russia leverage.

This is classic Trump deal-making: enforce the law, protect our technology and rebuild alliances that advance American strength.

In every one of these statements, I am speaking directly in support of this administration’s foreign policy. We believe in peace through strength, candid assessment of realities and delivering results that protect U.S. interests without dragging America into endless conflicts.

These comments reflect that approach: maximum leverage against terrorists, pragmatic engagement with key partners like Turkey and a clear-eyed path to greater stability in a volatile region."

Another point of contention was Barrack’s repeated argument that strong centralized rule, rather than Western-style democracy, has been the most successful model in the Middle East. Reiterating comments he had made previously, Barrack said at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on April 17: "The only thing that’s worked, the only thing, are these powerful leadership regimes: either benevolent monarchies, the kind of monarchical republic.

IRAN'S COLLAPSE OR SURVIVAL HINGES ON ONE CHOICE INSIDE THE REVOLUTIONARY GUARD

Turkey was removed from the American F-35 program in 2019 after purchasing Russia’s S-400 air defense system, which U.S. officials warned could allow Moscow to gather intelligence on the stealth fighter. 

Under Section 1245 of the National Defense Authorization Act, Turkey cannot rejoin the program unless the president certifies to Congress that Ankara no longer possesses or operates the S-400 and that the system poses no risk to the F-35.

Fox News Digital: You said that "powerful leadership regimes" are the only structures that have worked in the Middle East. 

Does that statement reflect a broader shift away from longstanding U.S. support for democratic governance and human rights in the region?

Barrack: When I said that ‘powerful leadership regimes,’ whether benevolent monarchies or the kind of monarchical republics seen elsewhere in the region, are the only structures that have actually worked in the Middle East, I was speaking from decades of hard-earned observation, not ideology.

Look at the track record. Countries that tried to adopt Western-style democracy quickly after the Arab Spring largely failed, often descending into chaos, civil war or new forms of authoritarianism.

Meanwhile, stable, results-oriented leadership in places like the Gulf monarchies has delivered security, economic growth, modernization and real improvements in people’s lives.

Israel, which one can rightly point to as a vibrant democracy in the region, stands as a notable outlier that has thrived under extremely strong, bold leadership capable of delivering security and prosperity under extraordinary challenges, even as some critics describe it as a "flawed democracy."

Turkey, operating as a presidential republic with regular multiparty elections, also demonstrates how strong, centralized leadership under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has delivered stability, economic dynamism and assertive regional influence, though critics have described it as a hybrid regime with strong authoritarian tendencies.

This is not a change in U.S. policy away from supporting democratic governance and human rights. It is a realistic assessment of what produces stability so that human rights and prosperity can take root.

President Trump’s approach has always been peace through strength: deal with the world as it is, not as we wish it to be. We support effective governance that prevents chaos, counters terrorism and creates conditions for long-term progress.

That includes backing strong, accountable leaders who deliver for their people, whether in monarchies that have modernized successfully or in evolving systems that prioritize security and opportunity over imported models that have repeatedly collapsed.

As President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to decide whether to extend a two-week ceasefire between the countries approaches, attention is increasingly turning not to Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, but to a shadowy Revolutionary Guard commander with a long record of terror, repression and hardline ideology.

Ahmad Vahidi, recently elevated to the top of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the elite paramilitary force within Iran’s military, is emerging as one of the most powerful men in Iran and, according to analysts, one of the key figures likely deciding whether Tehran resumes fighting or continues talks.

"By any standard, Vahidi is considered a radical even within the regime’s hardline elite, and his rise is a warning that Tehran’s war machine now calls the shots," Lisa Daftari, foreign policy analyst and journalist, told Fox News Digital.

"Putting someone with such a bloody and murderous record at the top of the Revolutionary Guard Corps confirms that the regime is not moderating under pressure. On the contrary," Daftari added, "it is doubling down on men whose careers are built on hostage‑taking, assassinations, and domestic repression. By any standard, Vahidi is considered a radical even within the regime’s hardline elite, and his rise is a warning that Tehran’s war machine now calls the shots."

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Why it matters: Analysts say Vahidi’s rise could shape whether Iran moves toward peace or deeper conflict. For the U.S., that means heightened risks to troops, allies and global stability if a hardline figure with a history tied to terror networks is now helping call the shots in Iran.

Vahidi’s rise comes at a moment when Iran’s formal political institutions appear weaker than ever.

Experts describe the Islamic Republic today as a system in which informal networks and personal relationships matter more than official titles.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, described Iran as "a system of men, not laws, but one whose success rested on institutionalizing their power," where decisions increasingly flow through Revolutionary Guard figures rather than the civilian government.

Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, said Vahidi may now be even more influential than parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf or even Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei.

"In my view, he is more dominant right now, even if they are coordinated. This is not a time for internal competition," Sabti said, adding that Vahidi is the only one who meets the new supreme leader face-to-face.

VANCE EN ROUTE TO PAKISTAN FOR HIGH-STAKES IRAN TALKS AS ‘FRAGILE’ CEASEFIRE TEETERS

Long before the world knew the name Qassem Soleimani, the longtime commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force who was killed in a 2020 U.S. drone strike, Vahidi was one of the men who helped build the infrastructure of Iran’s overseas terror operations.

He served as commander of the Quds Force in the 1990s, before Soleimani took over the elite unit responsible for foreign operations, covert action and support for proxy groups. 

Analysts say Vahidi played a central role in building Iran’s network of terrorist allies across the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon.

"Ahmad Vahidi is the embodiment of the Islamic Republic’s most militant wing," Daftari told Fox News Digital. "As Qassem Soleimani’s predecessor at the Quds Force, he helped build Tehran’s terror infrastructure abroad."

Sabti said Vahidi was part of the original generation of Iranian operatives who forged ties with militant groups in Lebanon before and after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Some accounts suggest he trained in camps linked to Palestinian and Lebanese factions in southern Lebanon, helping lay the foundation for Iran’s alliance with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terror group, in Lebanon. 

Vahidi has been linked by analysts and Western governments to some of the deadliest attacks carried out by Iranian-backed networks over the past four decades.

As the commander of the Quds Force from 1988 to 1998, he has been connected to the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing that killed 241 U.S. service members, the 1996 Khobar Towers attack in Saudi Arabia, and a 2008 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Yemen.

VANCE WARNS IRAN WILL 'FIND OUT' TRUMP IS 'NOT ONE TO MESS AROUND' IF CEASEFIRE DEAL FALLS APART

Daftari noted that Vahidi "has been implicated by Argentine prosecutors in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA (Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina) Jewish community center in Buenos Aires." Eighty-five people were killed in the bombing. 

Argentine investigators and courts have also linked Vahidi to the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, although the Interpol red notice against him is specifically for his alleged role in the 1994 AMIA bombing.

In April, Argentina renewed attention on him after its President Javier Milei’s government designated the entire Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization and singled out Vahidi by name.

In announcing the move, the Argentine government said that red notices remained in place for several Iranian officials, "among them former Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi, who was recently appointed to lead the IRGC."

Vahidi is under multiple layers of sanctions by both the United States and the European Union. The sanctions significantly restrict his ability to travel, move money or do business internationally.

Washington first sanctioned him in 2010 for links to Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. Vahidi was redesignated in 2022 for "being an official of the Government of Iran and being responsible for or complicit in, or responsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, the commission of serious human rights abuses against persons in Iran or Iranian citizens or residents, or the family members of the foregoing, on or after June 12, 2009, regardless of whether such abuses occurred in Iran."

He was redesignated by the United States in 2022 under Executive Order 13553 after Mahsa Amini’s death, when he served as interior minister and oversaw the regime’s response to nationwide protests.

Vahidi was sanctioned for orchestrating internet blackouts and directing Iran’s Law Enforcement Command, known as NAJA, during the crackdown, according to the U.S. Treasury. 

The European Union first sanctioned him in 2008, and imposed parallel sanctions in 2022 over the use of live ammunition, arbitrary detention of protesters and journalists, and the violent suppression of demonstrations.

Human rights groups accused Iranian authorities of using live fire, mass arrests and torture against protesters, which resulted in more than 30,000 deaths.

Yigal Carmon, founder and president of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) warned, "Under his leadership, more such crimes are to be expected in the West against both Jews and non-Jews."

PAKISTANI GENERAL SAYS IRAN DIPLOMACY STILL 'ALIVE, DESPITE US BLOCKADE, FAILED TALKS

Experts say Vahidi is not merely another hardliner, but one of the most extreme figures even within Iran’s already radical ruling elite.

Sabti is warning that Vahidi’s growing influence could make Tehran less likely to agree to a genuine ceasefire.

"He brings even more radicalization into the system and may not want to stop the war, because it serves the interests of the Revolutionary Guards to continue," Sabti said.

One of the biggest concerns surrounding Vahidi is that even if Iran agrees to a ceasefire, he may see it only as an opportunity to regroup.

That concern has taken on new urgency as Trump’s deadline approaches.

If Vahidi is indeed the man increasingly calling the shots in Iran, analysts say the key question is not whether Iran wants a ceasefire, but whether the Revolutionary Guard commander believes continued confrontation better serves his interests.

Carmon said, "Trusting him is a grave mistake. He belongs to the hard 'DEATH TO AMERICA' corps."

Iran’s mission to the United Nations declined to comment.

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern Time, in what he described as a major step toward ending weeks of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Trump said he had spoken separately with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that both sides had agreed to begin formal talks aimed at reaching a broader peace agreement.

"I just had excellent conversations with the Highly Respected President Joseph Aoun, of Lebanon, and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel," Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday. 

Trump said he has directed Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan "Razin'" Caine to work with both sides to achieve what he called a "lasting peace."

IDF UNCOVERS HEZBOLLAH WEAPONS STASH INSIDE HOSPITAL IN LEBANON

The president later said he plans to invite Netanyahu and Aoun to the White House for what he described as the first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983.

"Both sides want to see PEACE, and I believe that will happen, quickly!" Trump wrote.

The announcement came after days of intense U.S. diplomacy and appeared to resolve an earlier dispute over whether Aoun would speak directly with Netanyahu.

"We are trying to create a little breathing room," Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday, adding that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon had not spoken in some 34 years and saying, "It will happen tomorrow."

Earlier Thursday, Lebanese officials had insisted that Aoun would not speak directly with Netanyahu before a ceasefire was reached.

Three Lebanese officials told Reuters that Aoun had no plans to speak with Netanyahu in the near future, and two of the officials said Lebanon's embassy in Washington conveyed that position to the Trump administration before Aoun held a phone call with Rubio.

A senior Lebanese official later told Fox News Digital that there was intense domestic pressure inside Lebanon against further contacts with Israel while the fighting continued.

According to the official, many in Lebanon believed the government had already entered negotiations without receiving anything in return, making a ceasefire a prerequisite for any direct contact.

But shortly afterward, Lebanon's presidency announced that Aoun had spoken directly with Trump.

According to the Lebanese presidency's official X account, Aoun thanked Trump for his efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon and achieve what it described as a lasting peace and stability that could pave the way for a broader regional peace process.

Aoun, who served as commander of Lebanon's U.S.-backed armed forces before becoming president in 2025, said an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon would be a necessary first step before Lebanese troops could fully deploy to the border region.

The diplomatic dispute comes as the White House presses for a broader deal to end the regional war that erupted after Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group entered the conflict March 2 in support of Iran. 

Hezbollah's intervention opened a new front in Lebanon just 15 months after the last major Israel-Hezbollah war.

Pakistan, which helped mediate the April 8 ceasefire between Israel and Iran, said ending the fighting in Lebanon is essential to preserving that agreement.

ISRAEL WARNS HEZBOLLAH ‘PLAYING WITH FIRE,’ PRESSES LEBANON TO ACT ON WEAPONS PLEDGE

"Peace in Lebanon is essential for peace talks," Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said.

The Israeli security cabinet met late Wednesday to discuss a possible ceasefire in Lebanon, according to Israeli media.

Israeli officials have signaled openness to negotiations, but they are also insisting on continuing military operations until Hezbollah is pushed away from the border.

Israeli cabinet minister Gila Gamliel told Israeli media that Netanyahu had been expected to speak with Aoun "for the first time after so many years of no contact between the two countries."

Israel and Lebanon remain formally at war and have had no direct leader-to-leader contact in decades.

The latest U.S. diplomatic push follows a rare meeting Tuesday in Washington between Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter.

Those talks, held at the State Department under U.S. mediation, marked the first face-to-face discussions between senior Israeli and Lebanese officials in more than three decades.

Still, the prospect of a direct call between Netanyahu and Aoun has run into strong opposition inside Lebanon.

Hezbollah, which has opposed any contact with Israel, remains publicly against negotiations.

At the same time, Lebanon's government has increasingly distanced itself from Hezbollah since the terror group entered the war.

The Lebanese government formally banned Hezbollah's military activities March 2 and has spent the past year trying to disarm the Iranian-backed group without triggering a broader civil conflict.

Meanwhile, fighting intensified Thursday in southern Lebanon.

IRAN THREATENS TO END CEASEFIRE OVER HEZBOLLAH'S EXCLUSION FROM TRUCE DEAL

Battles continued around the border town of Bint Jbeil, Lebanon, a longtime stronghold of Hezbollah — an Iran-backed terror group — that Israeli officials see as a key objective in the current offensive.

Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israeli forces were close to "overcoming" Hezbollah in Bint Jbeil. 

The Israeli military's immediate objective is to push Hezbollah farther from the border and prevent anti-tank missiles and other direct-fire weapons from threatening northern Israeli communities, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said in an interview with Fox News Digital. 

He said Israeli troops are now holding what the military calls "defense lines" several kilometers inside Lebanon, positions designed to keep Hezbollah gunmen and anti-tank squads from once again overlooking Israeli towns.

"We're going to make sure we keep diminishing them," Shoshani said.

Lebanese security officials also said an Israeli airstrike destroyed the last remaining bridge over the Litani River leading into southern Lebanon.

The strike effectively cut off nearly a tenth of the country from the rest of Lebanon after earlier Israeli attacks destroyed other crossings.

HEZBOLLAH, IRAN UNLEASH COORDINATED CLUSTER BOMB STRIKES ON ISRAEL IN MAJOR ESCALATION

Israel has vowed to turn the area south of the Litani River into a "no-go zone" for Hezbollah.

Israeli military chief of staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Wednesday that Hezbollah operatives would no longer be allowed to operate south of the river.

The Litani River, which runs roughly 20 miles north of Israel's border, has long been viewed by Israel as the line beyond which Hezbollah forces should not be allowed to operate.

Hezbollah responded Thursday with fresh rocket fire into northern Israel.

Warning sirens sounded in several Israeli communities, sending residents into bomb shelters. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

More than 2,100 people have been killed in Lebanon since March 2 and more than 1.2 million have been displaced, according to Lebanese authorities. 

Israeli officials say Hezbollah attacks have killed two Israeli civilians and 13 Israeli soldiers during the same period.

Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department, Lebanon's embassy in Washington and the Israeli government for comment, but did not receive responses in time for publication.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will not speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for now, a Lebanese official told Fox News Digital, dealing a setback to U.S. efforts to broker direct contact between the two countries as fighting continues across southern Lebanon.

The development came after President Donald Trump said late Wednesday that the two leaders could speak for the first time in decades.

"We are trying to create a little breathing room," Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon had not spoken in some 34 years and saying, "It will happen tomorrow."

But Lebanese officials quickly pushed back. A senior Lebanese official told Fox News Digital that no call between Aoun and Netanyahu is likely before a ceasefire is reached.

IDF UNCOVERS HEZBOLLAH WEAPONS STASH INSIDE HOSPITAL IN LEBANON

The official said there is mounting domestic pressure on Lebanon's government not to deepen contacts with Israel while fighting continues, especially because many in Lebanon believe the government has already begun negotiations without receiving anything in return.

The lack of a ceasefire or any tangible concession has made public opinion increasingly important, he explained.

Three Lebanese officials told Reuters that Aoun has no plans to speak with Netanyahu in the near future. Two of the officials said Lebanon's embassy in Washington conveyed that position to the Trump administration before Aoun held a phone call Thursday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

In a brief statement after the call, Lebanon's presidency said Aoun thanked Rubio for U.S. efforts to secure a ceasefire.

Shortly afterward, Lebanon's presidency said Aoun also spoke by phone with Trump.

According to the Lebanese presidency official X account, Aoun thanked Trump for his efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon and achieve what it described as a lasting peace and stability that could pave the way for a broader regional peace process.

The presidency said Aoun urged Trump to continue those efforts in order to stop the fighting as quickly as possible.

Trump, according to the Lebanese readout, voiced support for Aoun and Lebanon and said he remained committed to securing a ceasefire as soon as possible.

Lebanon has made clear it wants a ceasefire before any direct negotiations with Israel.

"A ceasefire is the natural entry point for direct negotiations," Aoun said Thursday.

Aoun, who previously served as commander of Lebanon's U.S.-backed armed forces before becoming president last year, said an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon would be a necessary first step before Lebanese troops could fully deploy to the border region.

The diplomatic dispute comes as the White House presses for a broader deal to end the regional war that erupted after Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group entered the conflict on March 2 in support of Tehran.

Hezbollah's intervention opened a new front in Lebanon just 15 months after the last major Israel-Hezbollah war.

Pakistan, which helped mediate the April 8 ceasefire between Israel and Iran, said ending the fighting in Lebanon is essential to preserving that agreement.

ISRAEL WARNS HEZBOLLAH ‘PLAYING WITH FIRE,’ PRESSES LEBANON TO ACT ON WEAPONS PLEDGE

"Peace in Lebanon is essential for peace talks," Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said.

The Israeli security cabinet met late Wednesday to discuss a possible ceasefire in Lebanon, according to Israeli media.

Israeli officials have signaled openness to negotiations, but they are also insisting on continuing military operations until Hezbollah is pushed away from the border.

Israeli Cabinet minister Gila Gamliel told Israeli media that Netanyahu had been expected to speak with Aoun "for the first time after so many years of no contact between the two countries."

Israel and Lebanon remain formally at war and have had no direct leader-to-leader contact in decades.

The latest U.S. diplomatic push follows a rare meeting Tuesday in Washington between Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter.

Those talks, held at the State Department under U.S. mediation, marked the first face-to-face discussions between senior Israeli and Lebanese officials in more than three decades.

Still, the prospect of a direct call between Netanyahu and Aoun has run into strong opposition inside Lebanon.

Hezbollah, which has opposed any contact with Israel, remains publicly against negotiations.

At the same time, Lebanon's government has increasingly distanced itself from Hezbollah since the terror group entered the war.

The Lebanese government formally banned Hezbollah's military activities on March 2 and has spent the past year trying to disarm the Iranian-backed group without triggering a broader civil conflict.

Meanwhile, fighting intensified Thursday in southern Lebanon.

IRAN THREATENS TO END CEASEFIRE OVER HEZBOLLAH'S EXCLUSION FROM TRUCE DEAL

Battles continued around the border town of Bint Jbeil, a longtime stronghold of Hezbollah — an Iran-backed terror group — that Israeli officials see as a key objective in the current offensive.

Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israeli forces were close to "overcoming" Hezbollah in Bint Jbeil.

The Israeli military's immediate objective is to push Hezbollah farther from the border and prevent anti-tank missiles and other direct-fire weapons from threatening northern Israeli communities, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said in an interview with Fox News Digital. 

He said Israeli troops are now holding what the military calls "defense lines" several kilometers inside Lebanon, positions designed to keep Hezbollah gunmen and anti-tank squads from once again overlooking Israeli towns.

"We're going to make sure we keep diminishing them," Shoshani said.

Lebanese security officials also said an Israeli airstrike destroyed the last remaining bridge over the Litani River leading into southern Lebanon.

The strike effectively cut off nearly a tenth of the country from the rest of Lebanon after earlier Israeli attacks destroyed other crossings.

HEZBOLLAH, IRAN UNLEASH COORDINATED CLUSTER BOMB STRIKES ON ISRAEL IN MAJOR ESCALATION

Israel has vowed to turn the area south of the Litani River into a "no-go zone" for Hezbollah.

Israeli military chief of staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Wednesday that Hezbollah operatives would no longer be allowed to operate south of the river.

The Litani River, which runs roughly 20 miles north of Israel's border, has long been viewed by Israel as the line beyond which Hezbollah forces should not be allowed to operate.

Hezbollah responded Thursday with fresh rocket fire into northern Israel.

Warning sirens sounded in several Israeli communities, sending residents into bomb shelters. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

According to Lebanese authorities, more than 2,100 people have been killed in Lebanon since March 2 and more than 1.2 million have been displaced.

Israeli officials say Hezbollah attacks have killed two Israeli civilians and 13 Israeli soldiers during the same period.

Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department, Lebanon's embassy in Washington and the Israeli government for comment, but did not receive responses in time for publication.

Reuters contributed to this report.