Two months into a war with the United States and Israel, Iran doesn’t have a functioning chain of command. And yet the entire world is waiting for Tehran to sign a deal.

I live in Modi’in. I have kids. I’ve spent more time in my mamad this year than I have in my living room. So when I watch the coverage of these Pakistan-mediated negotiations, the ceasefire extensions, the proposals and counter-proposals, I have one question that nobody in the international press seems willing to answer clearly.

Who, exactly, are we negotiating with?

Because from everything coming out of Tehran this week, the answer appears to be: nobody who can actually deliver.

A Supreme Leader Who Can’t Lead

Mojtaba Khamenei was severely wounded in the February 28 strike that killed his father. He has not appeared publicly and communicates through IRGC aides or limited audio links. According to insiders, his role has become one of assent rather than command, endorsing outcomes forged through institutional consensus rather than imposing authority.

The man at the apex of the Islamic Republic’s system is, by all credible reporting, a rubber stamp. He owes his elevation to the Guards, who backed him as a reliable guardian of their hardline agenda. He didn’t earn the role. He inherited it while bleeding on a hospital bed. And the people who installed him are now running the country through him.

The IRGC Fills the Vacuum

The IRGC is no longer operating behind the scenes but is openly emerging as the dominant force in Tehran. According to reporting from Reuters and Iran International, IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi has insisted that all critical positions must be managed directly by the Revolutionary Guard under wartime conditions.

Iran’s elected president, Pezeshkian, has repeatedly sought an urgent meeting with the Supreme Leader but has been unable to establish contact. A military council of senior IRGC officers now controls access to the center of power, preventing government reports from reaching Mojtaba and effectively isolating him from the civilian government.

Think about that for a moment. The elected president of Iran cannot reach his own Supreme Leader. The civilian government has been walled off by generals. And these are the people the world expects to negotiate a nuclear deal.

Negotiators Without Authority

Secretary of State Rubio described this problem with unusual bluntness: American negotiators have to negotiate with Iranians, who then need to negotiate with other Iranians to determine what they can agree to or offer.

A senior Pakistani official........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)