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Who is Ahmad Vahidi? Iran’s new IRGC chief tied to global attacks and ‘Death to America’ ideology
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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.
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. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto)
Power increasingly concentrated outside formal institutions
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.
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Long before the world knew the name Qassem Soleimani, Vahidi was one of the men who helped build the infrastructure of Iran’s overseas terror operations. (Morteza Nikoubazl/Nur Photo)
He previously led the Quds Force before Qassem Soleimani
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.
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Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei receives protection from elite NOPO force following his father’s assassination in U.S.-Israel attack on Tehran compound Feb. 28. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto)
One of the world’s most wanted Iranian officials
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.»
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Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi briefs the media on elections in Tehran, Iran, March 4, 2024. Argentina sought the arrest of Vahidi on April 23, 2024, over his alleged involvement in the deadly 1994 bombing of Buenos Aires Jewish community center. (Vahid Salemi/AP)
Analysts say he represents the regime’s most radical faction
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.
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Iranians react after a ceasefire announcement at the Enqelab square, in Tehran, on April 8, 2026. The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire Tuesday barely an hour before U.S. President Donald Trump’s deadline to obliterate the rival country was set to expire, with Tehran to temporarily reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz. (AFP via Getty Images)
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.
war with iran, mojtaba khamenei, middle east foreign policy, ali khamenei, terrorism, iran
INTERNACIONAL
Dems in the hot seat for skipping crucial hearing on radical group hiding in US: ‘Embarrassment’
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Democratic lawmakers were missing during Wednesday’s Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing as they skipped a hearing on the Muslim Brotherhood’s alleged network inside the United States, drawing a blistering rebuke from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
«You may notice that there are empty chairs on the Democrat side of the dais,» Cruz said as he opened the hearing by pointing out that every Democratic member of the subcommittee refused to attend. «The American people should ask themselves why not a single member of the minority decided that a hearing on terrorism was worth their time? It is an embarrassment.»
Cruz tied the Democrats’ boycott to Abdul El-Sayed’s primary victory, arguing that the timing helped explain why no Democratic members attended. Cruz accused the party of embracing a candidate who had campaigned alongside left-wing streamer Hasan Piker.
Cruz cited Piker’s past statement that «America deserved 9/11» and asked the witnesses what El-Sayed’s rise said about the direction of the Democratic Party.
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«Abdul El-Sayed, the son-in-law of a leading member of several Brotherhood groups, won Michigan’s Democrat primary for U.S. Senate. Perfect timing for this hearing, probably explains why no Democrats are here and none intend to attend,» Cruz said. «Because their campaign is now openly embracing terrorist organizations waging war on America.»
(From left to right) Democratic Party Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Peter Welch of Vermont, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Alex Padilla of California and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. Muslim Brotherhood supporters near the Jordanian border with the West Bank from 2021 can be seen in the background. (Getty Images)
The five Democratic members of the subcommittee — Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Alex Padilla of California and Peter Welch of Vermont — announced beforehand that they would not attend. In a joint statement, the senators accused Cruz of staging a «political creepshow» that scapegoated Muslim Americans.
«Scapegoating Muslims may be a Texas Republican strategist’s idea of ‘solid gold’ to whip up their voters, but Democrats have no intention of indulging this political creepshow, particularly after the recent violence targeting places of faith,» they said. «Our focus is the costs families face thanks to rampant, non-stop Trump corruption.»
Blumenthal separately told reporters Wednesday that Democrats refused to attend because the hearing «could well be used as an anti-Muslim, Islamophobia kind of show trial.»
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The Connecticut Democrat added that he planned to meet with members of the Muslim community who shared concerns about the Muslim Brotherhood, «which appears to be a terrorist organization,» while advocating for «tolerance and inclusion.»
US Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) speaks during a press conference at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 24, 2023. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The offices of Whitehouse and Welch referred Fox News Digital to the joint statement when asked why the senators chose to boycott rather than attend and challenge the witnesses directly. The offices of Hirono and Padilla had not responded by publication time.
Cruz and the hearing’s witnesses rejected the Democrats’ characterization of the proceeding as an attack on Muslims generally.
Lara Burns, a retired FBI special agent who helped lead a terrorism-financing investigation against what was once the largest Muslim charity in the United States, the Holy Land Foundation, warned that Americans should not disregard evidence because it is politically controversial.
A surfaced OIG report shows FBI agents were urged to avoid communications with CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations. (Getty Images)
«For decades, narratives have been intentionally seeded into public discourse that portray terrorist organizations as resistance movements,» Burns testified before arguing Americans cannot «ignore evidence introduced in federal court simply because that evidence is politically uncomfortable.»
«The history of this network is not in question,» she added. «It was made public decades ago, but few paid attention. Now is the time to pay attention and understand the facts.»
hearings, democrats senate, ted cruz, national security, politics
INTERNACIONAL
El caso Epstein sigue siendo un dolor de cabeza para la Familia Real: ahora el gobierno británico analiza si abre una investigación independiente
El caso Epstein sigue siendo un dolor de cabeza para el gobierno británico y su Familia Real. Cuando en Estados Unidos prácticamente el caso judicial no existe, en Gran Bretaña el ex príncipe Andrés ha sido excluido de la Casa de Windsor, de sus títulos y honores reales y militares, y su ex esposa Fergie no solo ha perdido el rango de duquesa, sino que es una virtual desaparecida.
Ahora le toca al gobierno laborista. ¿Habrá o no una investigación independiente sobre Jeffrey Epstein y Ghislaine Maxwell, ex novia del principito, que fueron alojados en el palacio de Balmoral, en Sandringham, para sus fiestas sexuales y en Windsor por invitación del ahora ex príncipe Andrés?
El nuevo primer ministro laborista, Andy Burnham, se debate. No es un tema fácil. Hoy no contempla una investigación sobre el caso Epstein, a pesar de las declaraciones de una ministra y sus promesas. Convocar a una investigación independiente consiste en llamar a testigos, que darían testimonios inmensamente incómodos para los actuales royals, no solo Andrés Mountbatten-Windsor.
Alex Davies-Jones había afirmado que el nuevo primer ministro estaba «evaluando las posibilidades», tras señalar que Keir Starmer no había «tomado en serio» a las agresoras y al agresor sexual.
Jeffrey Epstein murió en su celda en 2019 en Nueva York tras ser detenido por cargos de tráfico sexual. Visitó Londres 80 veces y traficó jovencitas en el aeropuerto de Stansted, que venían de Letonia, Lituania o Rusia hacia su isla en el Caribe o a Nueva York, sin visas de tránsito. Alguien lo ayudó en el reino. Al tráfico lo descubrió el ex primer ministro laborista Gordon Brown investigando los documentos judiciales revelados en Estados Unidos.
Alex Davies-Jones, la ministra, declaró que el primer ministro había accedido a reunirse con las víctimas del desacreditado financiero, quienes, según ella, no habían sido tomadas en serio por Sir Keir Starmer.
Al preguntársele si era posible realizar una investigación, declaró a BBC Newsnight: «Estamos estudiando el asunto, evaluando qué es posible. Lo mismo ocurre con las sobrevivientes del caso Harrods», que también son víctimas del tráfico sexual.
Sin embargo, fuentes de Downing Street aseguran que Burnham «no contempla una investigación pública». El papelón sería aún mayor porque involucraría directamente a la Familia Real, el pago de una indemnización a Virginia Giuffre (supuesta víctima sexual de Andrés que se ha suicidado, y quién la pagó), el rol de la reina Isabel y del actual rey Carlos, y los testimonios de pilotos, choferes, mucamos y mayordomos de los royals, que han firmado actos de confidencialidad ante la corona.
Davies-Jones dimitió del gobierno de Starmer en mayo, acusando al primer ministro de no escuchar a las sobrevivientes de Epstein en relación con la decisión de nombrar a Lord Mandelson embajador del Reino Unido en Washington. Dijo a los diputados que se había visto «obligada a luchar con uñas y dientes» para que se escuchara la voz de las víctimas.
Al preguntársele qué garantías había recibido antes de retomar el cargo bajo la dirección de Burnham, afirmó que el primer ministro «me ha asegurado que se reunirá con ellas ahora, que ocupa el cargo, y que trabajará con nosotros para impulsar cambios sistémicos en beneficio de todas las víctimas».
Jake Richards, ministro de Justicia, también había indicado el miércoles por la mañana que era posible realizar una investigación. En declaraciones a la emisora LBC, señaló que Davies-Jones había «hablado con el primer ministro y, sin duda, están considerando y analizando todas las opciones disponibles».
En Sky News, afirmó: «Es correcto que examinemos qué podemos hacer. No debemos dejar piedra por remover al considerar estos crímenes atroces que parecen haberse producido a gran escala. El primer ministro estudiará el asunto. Sin duda, se tomará su tiempo para reflexionar sobre la mejor vía para las víctimas. Pero también —y esto es crucial— para garantizar que se extraigan lecciones y asegurar que este tipo de cosas no vuelvan a ocurrir jamás», dijo.
Anouska de Georgiou, sobreviviente de los abusos de Epstein, declaró: «Celebro las noticias de que el primer ministro Andy Burnham está considerando abrir investigaciones públicas sobre los casos de Epstein y Maxwell, Harrods/Mohamed Al Fayed y David Sullivan».
«Las sobrevivientes ya han escuchado promesas anteriormente. Lo que importa ahora son los hechos, no los titulares», dijo la víctima.
En Francia también se abrirá una investigación sobre el caso Epstein y sus vínculos con ciudadanos franceses. Él pasaba al menos dos meses por año viviendo en el 22 de la avenida Foch, en el mismo edificio de la vieja residencia del embajador argentino en París, con un mayordomo brasileño y las chicas que recogían sus reclutadores de modelos. Hay más de 20 casos de chicas abusadas por Epstein en París.
INTERNACIONAL
Terrifying ‘human safaris’ on display in shocking video that reveals depths of Russia’s deadly campaign
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of going «mad» following the release of a video showing a Ukrainian vegetable vendor being stalked by a Russian military drone before the drone exploded near him.
The incident occurred on Aug. 4 at a Kherson market located in Southern Ukraine. Footage released by the Kherson Regional Military Administration shows a drone hovering near a man standing beside a minibus before following him as he moves behind the bus. Moments later the drone dives toward the minibus and explodes near its front, detonating close to where the man is standing.
«A Russian drone deliberately hunted down a man selling vegetables and detonated right next to him,» Zelenskyy wrote on X in a post including the video. «The Russians even admitted to the crime, showing zero regret and openly boasting about tormenting people. The man was wounded in the blast. Every single day, ordinary people in Kherson face these Russian «safaris.»
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Zelenskyy sat down with Fox News for a wide-ranging interview, outlining how Ukraine’s war-time innovations are now shaping global defense partnerships. (Fox News)
The street vendor, identified as 52-year-old Yuriy, survived the near-fatal encounter, which Ukrainian authorities describe as part of a pattern of Russian drone attacks that track and target civilians — a practice they have dubbed «human safaris.»
Speaking from a hospital bed, Yuriy told BBC that he and his wife were setting up their stall when he heard the drone buzzing nearby. His wife had run away, and the drone zeroed in on Yuriy, who pulled out vegetables to show that he did not have a weapon.
«It could see that I had tomatoes out, some cucumbers and eggplants laid out on the floor,» Yuriy told BBC. «It even ducked under the umbrella when I was running away round the other side.»
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the attack a «barbaric war crime,» demanding international intervention.
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Zelenskyy argued that everyone should see the video to make clear what Russia is capable of, arguing that President Vladimir Putin won’t stop with Ukraine.
«This is not just about Ukraine,» Zelenskyy wrote. «Russia’s campaign against human life must be stopped here in Ukraine before it spreads further. Finland and Kazakhstan, the Baltic states and Poland, the countries of the South Caucasus, Romania, and Moldova — all should work together to ensure real security guarantees and bring Russia’s war to an end.»
Russian drone strike killed at least 12 Ukrainian coal miners and injured seven others when it hit a civilian bus in Dnipropetrovsk region. (State Emergency Service of Ukraine, Dnipropetrovsk region)
«Peace is needed, which requires cooperation among everyone in the world who truly values peace,» Zelenskyy wrote.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office says authorities have opened 5,303 criminal cases into drone attacks on civilian targets in the Kherson region. The office says the attacks have killed 287 civilians and wounded 2,549 others, including 41 children.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks at a podium split with an image of Russian President Vladimir Putin crossing himself at Orthodox Easter service. (Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea via Reuters; AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)
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Prosecutors said the attacks appeared to be part of a systematic campaign, with FPV drones repeatedly striking civilians in public places, homes, transport hubs and civilian vehicles, and in some cases launching follow-up attacks after emergency crews arrived.
The release of the chilling video comes a year after a one-year-old boy was killed by a Russian drone in the Kherson region while playing in his playpen in his grandmother’s backyard.
ukraine, volodymyr zelenskyy, russia, world, viral videos, drones
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