INTERNACIONAL
Who actually runs Iran right now? The key power players as Trump claims talks to ‘top’ official
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«Nobody knows who to talk to,» President Donald Trump said Tuesday at the White House, describing what he portrayed as both chaos and opportunity inside Iran’s leadership. «But we’re actually talking to the right people, and they want to make a deal so badly.»
His remarks come as the U.S. claims it is engaged in talks with a «top» Iranian figure, even as Tehran publicly denies negotiations are taking place.
The question now is not just whether talks are happening, but whether anyone in Tehran has the authority to deliver. With U.S.-Israel strikes on senior Iranian leadership and growing internal fractures, Iran appears to be operating less like a centralized theocracy and more like a wartime system run by overlapping power centers, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at its core.
Here’s who matters now.
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A State Department Rewards for Justice poster offers up to $10 million for information on key leaders tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including Mojtaba Khamenei, Ali Asghar Hejazi, Yahya Rahim Safavi, Ali Larijani, Eskandar Momeni and Esmail Khatib. (State Department / Rewards for Justice)
The IRGC: The real power behind the state
Across intelligence assessments and recent reporting, one conclusion is consistent: the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has emerged as the dominant force in Iran’s political system.
Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Washington, D.C., think tank, said the current moment is accelerating a long-standing trend.
«No doubt both the 12-Day war and this current conflict have trimmed the commanding heights of the Islamic Republic’s political and military leadership,» he said. «But it has also expedited the trend lines inherent in Iranian politics, which is the dominance of the security forces and the ascendance of the IRGC.»
«Yes, there is more IRGC control over the state than ever before, but the state is weaker than ever before and more of a national security rump state than ever before,» he said.
«It shouldn’t particularly preoccupy Washington, who is and isn’t offering negotiations,» Ben Taleblu added. «The preeminent preoccupation of Washington has to be working toward a military win at a political win, and that does not come by working with the IRGC, but actually beating them on the battlefield and supporting the forces most arrayed against them in Iran, which are the Iranian people.»
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps military personnel are walking along Enghelab (Revolution) Ave. as an Iranian Kheibar surface-to-surface missile is being unveiled during a military rally in Tehran, Iran, Nov. 24, 2023. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The command room: Supreme National Security Council
If the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is the power in Iran, the Supreme National Security Council appears to be the mechanism through which that power is exercised.
The Supreme National Security Council is Iran’s top forum for coordinating military and foreign policy, bringing together senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders and government officials under the authority of the supreme leader. It was established after the 1979 revolution and has played a central role in managing major crises, from nuclear negotiations to wartime operations.
Iran appointed Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, as secretary of the council, reinforcing its central role in coordinating military and political decisions, Reuters reported Tuesday.
A Middle Eastern official source with knowledge of the system described the structure.
«Right now, the power is in the hands of the IRGC,» the source said. «The Supreme National Security Council makes the decisions, of course, with the backing of the majority of IRGC commanders.»
A mourner holds a poster depicting Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, right, the successor to his late father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, as supreme leader, during the funeral procession for senior Iranian military officials and civilians killed during the campaign in Tehran, Iran, March 11, 2026. (Vahid Salemi/The Associated Press )
Mojtaba Khamenei: The supreme leader in name
Formally, Iran’s system centers on Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. But his actual grip on power remains uncertain.
Khamenei inherited the position’s sweeping authority following his father’s death, but «lacks the automatic authority enjoyed by his father,» the Middle Eastern official said.
Moreover, he has not appeared publicly since taking power and only has issued written statements, raising questions about both his health and his ability to govern, after reportedly being injured in the initial Feb. 28 U.S.–Israeli strikes that killed his father and other senior Iranian leaders.
Brig. Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, head of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, suggested his role may currently be limited: «For the time being, since Mojtaba has been injured, it seems he’s a hologram and not holding power. However, if Mojtaba recovers, he will be involved in ruling Iran. He is not just a figurehead. But anyhow, for the time being, the control of Iran is in the hands of the revolutionary guards.»
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Ghalibaf: The man at the center of Trump’s claim
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf speaks during a public event in Iran in 2024. (Hossein Beris / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP)
Trump’s statement that he is speaking to a «top person» has focused attention on one name in particular: Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
The White House is quietly exploring Ghalibaf as a potential interlocutor and even a possible future leader, Axios reported.
A former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander and current parliament speaker, Ghalibaf represents a hybrid figure inside the system, bridging military credentials and political authority.
He was one of the key security figures involved in the crackdown on student protests in July 1999 and has run for president four times since 2005.
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Ghalibaf is expected to meet U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the capital of Pakistan as early as the end of the week.
Ben Taleblu said: «Those who see the ascendants of someone like Ghalibaf, who is an IRGC veteran, having extended power outside his traditional civilian rule, have missed the decades of how personality, not profession, has been the driving force in Iranian politics for the past few decades. I would also say those who worry about the IRGC background of the Supreme National Security Council are all that in Iran today, may have missed the fact that the past few Supreme National Security Council Secretaries, Shamkhani, Larijani, Ahmadian, all also had IRGC backgrounds.»
At the same time, Ghalibaf has publicly denied engaging in talks with the United States, and no direct confirmation of negotiations has been provided by either side.
Araghchi: The diplomat carrying messages
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister following their talks in Moscow on April 18, 2025. (Getty Images)
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi remains one of the most visible figures internationally.
If talks were to take place, Araghchi likely would be part of the Iranian delegation alongside Ghalibaf, Reuters reported.
But analysts caution that his role is limited. He may act as a channel for communication, but does not set policy independently.
Strategic decisions, particularly on war and negotiations, are still shaped by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the broader security establishment.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, the head of the judiciary and Alireza Arafi, deputy chairman of the Assembly of Experts, attend the meeting of the interim leadership council of Iran in an unknown location, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, March 1, 2026. (IRIB/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters)
The wider power circle: generals, clerics and enforcers
Beyond the headline figures, a broader group of officials who continue to shape Iran’s direction can be identified.
These include Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Ahmad Vahidi, Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani, naval commander Alireza Tangsiri, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, President Masoud Pezeshkian and senior clerical and political figures such as Saeed Jalili and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi.
Each represents a different pillar of the system: military power, regional proxy operations, control of strategic waterways, internal repression and religious legitimacy.
Together, they form what analysts describe as a fragmented but resilient governing network.
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A billboard depicting Iran’s supreme leaders since 1979: (left to right) Ayatollahs Ruhollah Khomeini (until 1989), Ali Khamenei (until 2026), and Mojtaba Khamenei (incumbent) is displayed above a highway in Tehran on March 10, 2026. (AFP/Via Getty Images)
Despite internal divisions, Iran’s leadership remains united on one core objective: survival of the regime.
Kuperwasser described the split: «There are the more pragmatic elites, like Araghchi, Rouhani, and Zarif. There are also the hardliners who have usually held the upper hand … But they are united in one issue — that the regime should survive and stay in power.»
Iran’s U.N. mission did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
war with iran, mojtaba khamenei, iran
INTERNACIONAL
El Parlamento chavista designó a Mervin Maldonado como jefe del programa para migrantes venezolanos en el exterior
El Parlamento de Venezuela autorizó el nombramiento del diputado Mervin Maldonado como nuevo jefe de la Gran Misión Vuelta a la Patria, una de las iniciativas del régimen chavista para la atención de migrantes venezolanos en el exterior.
Maldonado asumirá la coordinación de este programa en reemplazo de Camilla Fabri, quien fue apartada del cargo en medio de una serie de ajustes administrativos impulsados tras la salida del círculo cercano al narcodictador Nicolás Maduro.
Maldonado es contador público egresado de la Universidad de los Andes y ha estado vinculado al chavismo desde sus años universitarios. Durante la última década, ha ocupado diversas posiciones en la administración pública, entre ellas ministro de Juventud y Deporte, diputado suplente en la Asamblea Nacional Constituyente y secretario ejecutivo de misiones sociales, además de su reciente elección como parlamentario por el estado Mérida.
Su paso por el Ministerio de Deporte estuvo marcado por señalamientos de malversación de fondos y mala administración. En 2016, la ciclista venezolana Daniela Larreal denunció que los recursos destinados a los atletas no llegaban a sus beneficiarios y que la institución funcionaba como “caja chica” de funcionarios. Diversos reportes de medios independientes durante ese periodo resaltaron investigaciones abiertas por presunto desvío de fondos y manejos opacos en la gestión deportiva.
El nombre de Maldonado también estuvo vinculado a la polémica que rodeó la participación de Venezuela en los Juegos Olímpicos de Tokio 2020, cuando fue señalado como intermediario del régimen en la coordinación de mensajes y dedicatorias de los atletas a figuras del chavismo.
A lo largo de su carrera política, Maldonado ha ocupado cargos de alto nivel sin que se le conozcan logros concretos en áreas de deporte, juventud o misiones sociales. Analistas atribuyen su permanencia en puestos estratégicos más a la lealtad partidista y la cercanía con figuras del PSUV que a una gestión eficaz.
Su reciente rol como portavoz en favor de la “liberación” de Nicolás Maduro, actualmente detenido en Estados Unidos, lo posiciona dentro del ala más radical del oficialismo.
El relevo de Maldonado se produce en el marco de una reestructuración que también incluyó la salida de Camilla Fabri, esposa de Alex Saab, empresario colombiano acusado de ser el principal testaferro de Maduro en operaciones de corrupción y lavado de dinero.
Fabri, de nacionalidad italiana, había estado a cargo del despacho vinculado a la atención de migrantes y fue cesada tras semanas de especulaciones sobre el paradero y la situación judicial de su esposo, quien permanece fuera de la escena pública desde su destitución en el Ministerio de Industrias.
Alex Saab, cuya carrera se consolidó con Nicolás Maduro en el poder, fue responsable de gestionar millonarias importaciones para programas sociales como CLAP, el cual ha sido señalado por organismos internacionales y medios independientes como foco de corrupción.
La detención de Saab en 2020 y su posterior extradición a Estados Unidos aumentaron la presión sobre su entorno familiar y político, generando una ola de destituciones de funcionarios alineados con su red.
El nombramiento de Maldonado se suma a una serie de movimientos internos que buscan distanciar a la administración actual de los escándalos vinculados al antiguo círculo de Maduro y enviar una señal de renovación en la estructura oficialista, aunque persisten las dudas sobre la capacidad de Maldonado para ofrecer resultados efectivos y transparentes en la nueva etapa.
(Con información de AFP)
deportistas,políticos
INTERNACIONAL
North Korean dictator says government will keep cementing nation’s ‘irreversible status as a nuclear power’
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North Korean’s Kim Jong Un pledged to solidify his nation’s nuclear status while keeping a hard-line position regarding South Korea, which he referred to as the «most hostile» state, state media indicated Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.
In a speech Monday to Pyongyang’s rubber-stamp parliament, Kim accused the United States of global «state terrorism and aggression,» in an apparent reference to the war in the Middle East, and said North Korea will play a more forceful role in a united front against Washington amid rising anti-American sentiment.
The AP reported that the North Korean official indicated that the matter of whether opponents «choose confrontation or peaceful coexistence is up to them, and we are prepared to respond to any choice.»
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This picture taken on Feb. 15, 2026, and released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Feb. 16, shows Kim Jong Un delivering a speech at the inauguration ceremony of Saeppyol Street in Pyongyang. (KCNA via KNS/AFP via Getty Images)
«The dignity of the nation, its national interest and its ultimate victory can only be guaranteed by the strongest of power,» Kim stated, according to the AP. «The government of our republic will continue to consolidate our absolutely irreversible status as a nuclear power and will aggressively wage a struggle against hostile forces to crush their (anti-North Korean) provocations and schemes.»
KIM JONG UN CALLS SOUTH KOREA ‘MOST HOSTILE ENEMY,’ SAYS NORTH COULD ‘COMPLETELY DESTROY’ IT
This picture taken on Feb. 21, 2026 and released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on Feb. 22, shows Kim Jong Un speaking during the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang. (KCNA via KNS/AFP via Getty Images)
The 2026 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community states, «North Korea remains committed to expanding its strategic weapons programs, including missiles and nuclear warheads, and to solidifying its deterrent capability.»
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This picture taken on Feb. 2, 2026 and released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on Feb. 3, shows Kim Jong Un delivering a speech at the inauguration of the Samgwang Stockbreeding Farm in North Pyongan Province. (KCNA via KNS/AFP via Getty Images)
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The U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran more than three weeks ago in a bid to prevent the Islamic Republic from potentially joining the ranks of other nations that possess nuclear weapons.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
world, north korea, kim jong un, south korea, nuclear proliferation
INTERNACIONAL
Angel mom, GOP blame Spanberger after illegal immigrant with 30 arrests charged in killing
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A Virginia murder case is fueling a political fight over immigration enforcement, as the victim’s family and Republican officials blame Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s policies and a progressive local prosecutor for failing to stop a suspect with dozens of prior arrests and a standing removal order.
Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, the victim’s mother, Cheryl Minter and local officials said failures by prosecutors, Fairfax County policies and federal immigration enforcement allowed the suspect to remain free. They spoke at a Tuesday press conference hosted by The American Border Story in Richmond.
At a State Capitol vigil, Miyares blamed liberal leaders in the Old Dominion, including Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano, for creating the environment that led to the murder of Stephanie Minter of Fredericksburg at a Hybla Valley bus stop.
«A federal judge had issued a final order for his removal six years ago. A detainer was lodged, and Fairfax County refused to honor it. Police warned Steve Descano not once, but twice, writing repeatedly that this man would kill someone. They were right. He was a ticking time bomb, and that time bomb went off, and Stephanie was the casualty,» Miyares said, listing other similar cases.
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Abdul Jalloh, 32, is accused of killing Stephanie Minter, 41, at a Virginia bus stop. (Fairfax County Police Department)
Miyares, now a partner at William Barr’s Torridon Law Firm, said Jalloh has 30 prior arrests and that Fairfax police remain stymied by Descano, who has refused to honor ICE detainers. He also criticized Spanberger for revoking Youngkin-era cooperation between state, local, correctional and federal authorities, arguing the administration is forcing rural departments to follow Fairfax’s lead.
«The sheriff of Bedford, or the sheriff in Galax, or Grayson County, or Washington County, have to adopt the same criminal-first, victim-last mindset adopted in Fairfax that has harmed so many innocent Virginians,» he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger for comment.
Miyares called Cheryl Minter «one of the bravest people that we’ve all ever seen to talk about her pain and the loss of her daughter among total strangers.»
Minter’s daughter, Stephanie, and her accused killer, Abdul Jalloh, both exited a Fairfax Connector bus at the same stop on U.S. 1 near George Washington’s Mount Vernon on Feb. 23, according to surveillance footage obtained by the Fairfax County Police Department.
The next day, officers responded to a suspicious person call on Route 1 and charged Jalloh with larceny. He was charged with Minter’s murder the following day after being identified, according to FCPD.
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In her remarks Tuesday, Cheryl Minter fought back tears as she cried, «I miss her so much,» speaking of Stephanie.
«I had her for 41 years. And I don’t know what I’m going to do without her. She was [a] joy to my life. She was a joy to everybody. Family, friends; she loved so many things and had so many goals.»
Abdul Jalloh, 32, is accused of killing Stephanie Minter, 41, at a Virginia bus stop. (Fox 5 DC)
Minter said Stephanie was an artist and loved to cook and serve food for people.
«Always that smile, that amazing smile could just lift anybody up no matter how down they were. She did it to me a lot. I wish I could see it now,» Minter said before turning her attention to elected officials in Virginia.
«Change has got to happen — I don’t know where all these political people are. They stopped serving citizens. They just stopped. I’m not quite sure how they get voted in.»
«It’s got to stop from a court level up, all of it. Judges are part of it, lawyers are part of it, and it goes up the ladder. I couldn’t even name them all because I don’t know them.»
Nicole Kiprilov, director of The American Border Story, who was hosting the vigil, then read a statement from the lone Republican official remaining on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
Pat Herrity, supervisor for the Springfield District, condemned Stephanie Minter’s murder and blamed the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney and the Board of Supervisors Democratic majority.
«My heart goes out to the family of Stephanie Minter. The Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney and the Board of Supervisors majority failed her,» his statement said.
VIRGINIA PROSECUTOR’S RECORD ON VIOLENT OFFENDERS SCRUTINIZED AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED IN MOM’S MURDER
He also criticized the county’s Trust Policy, saying it undermined efforts to remove repeat offenders.
The Trust Policy, enacted in 2021, is intended to ensure «immigrant residents» can access county services without fear of information sharing with federal officials.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey McKay told Fox News Digital, in response to criticism, that the situation has «nothing to do with the Trust Policy.»
«Any loss of life is tragic, and my thoughts are with Ms. Minter’s loved ones,» McKay said.
«Our police department, which is under the purview of the Board of Supervisors, and the independent Sheriff’s Office did their jobs by arresting this individual multiple times and advocating that the judicial system keep him in custody.»
McKay said ICE had Jalloh in custody in 2018 after a felony conviction and allowed him to remain in the U.S.
«The focus of ICE needs to be on violent individuals, yet recent evidence shows it appears to be more focused on apprehending nonviolent individuals,» McKay said.
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«We should all be asking why enforcement actions did not result in removal by ICE when this dangerous offender was in their custody, not questioning a policy designed to build trust between law enforcement and the community. That trust is one of the many reasons Fairfax County is the safest jurisdiction of its size in the United States.»
Descano’s office declined comment, citing the open criminal case against Jalloh.
Descano has been criticized for lax prosecution of illegal immigrant suspects and has also been summoned to Capitol Hill in April by Reps. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to testify on systemic criminal justice issues in Fairfax.
immigration, abigail spanberger, migrant crime, illegal immigrants, sanctuary cities
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