Ahmad Vahidi Emerges as Key Hawk Shaping Iran's Line on Israel and the U.S.

Ahmad Vahidi, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has become one of the most influential figures shaping Tehran’s policy toward Israel and the United States, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. The paper says he has recently emerged as a leading voice in Iran’s hardline camp, even as U.S. President Donald Trump said a deal between Washington and Tehran could be signed as soon as today.

Sources described Vahidi as pushing for a tougher approach than President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who favor reaching an agreement with Washington quickly. His influence was also evident in Iran’s decision to fire missiles at Israel after Israeli strikes on Hezbollah in Beirut. According to people who spoke with the newspaper, more moderate Iranian figures wanted to avoid an escalation that could endanger talks with the United States, but Vahidi backed a stronger response and ultimately persuaded the Supreme National Security Council to approve it.

The report says Vahidi believes Iran must rebuild its deterrence before signing any deal and should continue pressing its demands. Those demands include preserving Iran’s missile stockpile, ensuring access to frozen state funds abroad, and avoiding restrictions on using those funds for military purposes.

Vahidi, 67, is described as one of the most veteran and powerful men in Iran’s security establishment. He helped found the Revolutionary Guards after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, later helped establish Quds Force and commanded it, and also served as defense minister, interior minister, and deputy commander of the Guards. Outside Iran, he is also known for an Interpol arrest warrant issued in 2007 over suspected involvement in the 1994 bombing of the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, an attack that killed 85 people. Tehran denies the accusation.