Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the elite branch of the Iranian Armed Forces, has blocked President Masoud Pezeshkian’s presidential appointments and erected what sources described as a security cordon around Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, a report published Tuesday by Iran International said.

The IRGC effectively has assumed control over key state functions, the report claimed.

"It was always a matter of when, not if, the IRGC was going to step forward even more than it has in the last three decades," Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.

Pezeshkian has reached a "complete political deadlock" as tensions between his administration and the military leadership deepen, according to the report.

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The reported shift could have major consequences far beyond Iran. 

Analysts say a more powerful IRGC likely would mean a more confrontational Iran, less willing to compromise in talks with Washington and more inclined to continue military escalation across the region. With U.S.-Iran negotiations already faltering and uncertainty growing over whether Tehran will even send negotiators to the next round of talks, the rise of the Revolutionary Guard raises fresh doubts about who actually is making decisions in Iran and whether any civilian official can still speak for the regime.

"But it’s a mistake to assume this is some sort of coup," Ben Taleblu said. "This has been the process in Iran for years now, as the regime has chosen conflict over cooperation and emboldened its security forces at every juncture."

Pezeshkian’s recent effort to appoint a new intelligence minister collapsed after direct pressure from IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi, sources told Iran International, arguing that all proposed candidates, including former Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan, were rejected.

Vahidi reportedly insisted that under wartime conditions, all critical and sensitive positions must be chosen and managed directly by the Revolutionary Guard until further notice.

"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.

Under Iran’s system, the president traditionally nominates an intelligence minister only after securing approval from the supreme leader. But with the condition and whereabouts of Mojtaba Khamenei unclear in recent weeks, the IRGC appears to be increasingly acting without civilian oversight.

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The report claims Pezeshkian repeatedly has sought an urgent meeting with Mojtaba Khamenei but has been unable to establish contact.

Instead, according to Iran International, a "military council" made up of senior IRGC officers now controls access to the center of power, preventing government reports from reaching Mojtaba and effectively isolating him from the elected government.

Still, analysts say the reported power struggle reflects a longer trend in Iran, where the Revolutionary Guard has steadily expanded its influence over politics, the economy, and national security.

Ben Taleblu argued that Pezeshkian’s apparent sidelining should not be viewed as a dramatic break from the past because the president never exercised significant independent authority.

"Those who worry about Pezeshkian’s potential sidelining need to consider what he realistically was or wasn’t able to do mere months ago when the regime slaughtered 40,000 Iranians in the streets," he said.

Pezeshkian, elected in 2025 on promises of moderation and reform, has repeatedly found himself constrained by the security establishment and the clerical leadership.

The latest report suggests that dynamic has intensified dramatically as Iran faces growing external pressure and internal uncertainty.

One of the most striking claims involves Ali Asghar Hejazi, a powerful security official inside the office of the supreme leader.

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Some of Mojtaba Khamenei’s associates are now trying to push Hejazi out because he opposed Mojtaba succeeding his father, according to Iran International.

The report said Hejazi warned members of the Assembly of Experts that Mojtaba lacked the qualifications to become supreme leader and that hereditary succession would violate the principles laid out by Ali Khamenei.

Hejazi reportedly also warned that putting Mojtaba in power would effectively hand the country to the Revolutionary Guard and permanently sideline civilian institutions.

That warning increasingly appears to reflect what is already happening.

The Revolutionary Guard, created after the 1979 Islamic Revolution to defend the regime, has long evolved far beyond a military force. It now controls major sections of Iran’s economy, oversees the country’s missile and nuclear programs, and exerts influence across nearly every branch of government.

Analysts say the latest developments suggest the IRGC is no longer operating behind the scenes, but is openly emerging as the dominant force in Tehran.

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

A Canadian woman was shot and killed Monday, and several others were injured, before a gunman took his own life at Mexico’s popular Teotihuacan pyramids. 

Mexican officials said that four people were wounded by gunfire and two others sustained injuries from falls. Among the injured were tourists from Colombia, Russia, and Canada, according to local government reports via The Associated Press.

A firearm, a bladed weapon, and live cartridges were found at the scene, Mexico’s Security Cabinet confirmed on social media.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on social media that the shooting would be thoroughly investigated and that she was in contact with the Canadian Embassy.

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"What happened today in Teotihuacan deeply pains us," she wrote. "I express my most sincere solidarity with the affected individuals and their families."

MAJOR DRUG LORD 'EL MENCHO' KILLED IN MEXICAN MILITARY OPERATION WITH U.S. INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT

Sheinbaum said she has instructed the Security Cabinet to investigate the events and provide all necessary support to the victims.

"Personnel from the Secretariat of the Interior and the Secretariat of Culture are already heading to the site to provide assistance and accompaniment, along with local authorities," she said. "I am closely following the situation, and we will continue to provide timely updates through the Security Cabinet."

The pre-Hispanic city, located just outside Mexico City, was once one of the most significant cultural centers in Mesoamerica.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Canada's foreign ministry for comment.

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.

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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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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.

A 67-year-old Carnival Cruise passenger died last week while snorkeling off the coast of mainland Australia during an excursion.

The woman, who has not been publicly identified, was a passenger aboard the Carnival Splendor, which offers snorkeling excursions to the Tangalooma Wrecks. She reportedly drowned near Moreton Island on April 17, Cruise Hive reported.

"Carnival Cruise Line is deeply saddened by the death of a guest on Moreton Island on Friday," the cruise line told local media. "Our Care Team is supporting the guest’s family during this difficult time."

Fox News Digital has reached out to Carnival.

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Local authorities said the woman, a resident of Tasmania, was found unresponsive in the water.

"Attempts were made to revive the woman, however, she was pronounced deceased at the scene," a Queensland Police spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "Investigations are ongoing into the circumstances surrounding her death."

CRUISE PASSENGERS WITNESS TERRIFYING RESCUE AT SEA AS STRANDED MAN AND CAT PULLED FROM FAILING SAILBOAT

The death occurred during the ship's four-night round trip cruise from Sydney, which included two days at sea and 10 hours at Moreton Island.

The waters around the island, located off the coast of Brisbane, are generally calm and are known for shipwreck snorkeling sites and diverse marine life.

The woman's death occurred only hours before another emergency on the same ship. On April 18, a passenger in his 70s reportedly climbed over the vessel's safety rails and went overboard.

An intensive search lasted for several hours before being suspended. The two incidents are not believed to be linked.

Hundreds of commercial tankers are stranded on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz after Iran shut the critical chokepoint on April 18, halting traffic and leaving crews trapped amid reports of gunfire and "traumatic experiences" on board.

The Strait of Hormuz is considered an international waterway under international law, through which ships have the right of transit passage, according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making it a critical chokepoint for global energy markets, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Iranian gunboats opened fire on a tanker the same day, while a projectile struck a container vessel, damaging cargo.

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Audio released by maritime monitoring group TankerTrackers appears to capture the moment a vessel and its crew came under fire while approaching the strait, including a distress call from a crew member.

"Sepah Navy! Motor tanker Sanmar Herald! You gave me clearance to go… you are firing now. Let me turn back!" the crew member can be heard saying in the recording, according to TankerTrackers.

Iranian state media confirmed that shots were fired near vessels to force them to turn back, while the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India said the foreign secretary was deeply concerned.

Hapag-Lloyd, the world’s fifth-largest container shipping line, told Fox News Digital that it had activated a crisis team as its crews remain stuck on board vessels in the region.

"We have been working from Friday afternoon until today with the entire crisis team to bring the vessels out — in vain, unfortunately," said Nils Haupt, senior director of group communications at Hapag-Lloyd AG.

"These events can easily lead to traumatic experiences. There is also a significant risk from sea mines, which has made insuring vessels for passage through the Strait nearly impossible."

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"The crews are well, but they are becoming increasingly impatient and frustrated. It is very unfortunate that we could not leave today," he added. "Many ships are still stuck in the Persian Gulf."

"Our six ships are anchored near the port of Dubai, and all crews hope for an improvement in the situation," Haupt said.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on April 18 that the strait would remain closed until the U.S. lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, warning ships not to move from anchorage or risk being treated as "enemy" collaborators.

Iran has previously argued that restrictions on its oil exports and shipping amount to "economic warfare," framing actions in the Strait of Hormuz as a response to foreign pressure on its economy, according to statements from Iranian officials and state media in past incidents.

"Approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and any violating vessel will be targeted," the IRGC said in a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.

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The United States imposed the blockade on Iranian ports to pressure Tehran to reopen the strait, with U.S. Central Command saying the measures are being enforced "impartially against all vessels."

Hapag-Lloyd said its vessels have been stuck for weeks following the initial closure after the outbreak of war with Iran on Feb. 28.

"For us, it is critical that our vessels can pass through the strait soon," Haupt said.

"We offer all crew members unlimited data so they can video call loved ones and access entertainment. Crews are strong, but after weeks on board there is growing monotony and frustration."

"One crew experienced a fire on board from bomb fragments. Others have seen missiles or drones near their vessels," he added.

"They are resilient, but each additional day makes the situation more difficult, more monotonous, and more stressful."

President Donald Trump said Iran had agreed not to close the strait again but after the closure, Trump called the situation "blackmail" and said the U.S. would not back down.

Two U.S. Embassy personnel were killed in an "accident" in Mexico, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson announced Sunday. 

"We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of two U.S. Embassy personnel, the Director of Chihuahua’s State Investigation Agency (AEI), and an AEI officer in this accident. We honor their dedication and tireless efforts to confront one of the greatest challenges of our time. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved ones," Johnson said in a post on X.

The ambassador also said that the tragedy underscores the risks officials face while carrying out their duties.

"This tragedy is a solemn reminder of the risks faced by those Mexican and U.S. officials who are dedicated to protecting our communities," he said. "It strengthens our resolve to continue their mission and advance our shared commitment to security and justice, to protect our people."

Details remain unclear, including the nature and location of the incident and whether the personnel were U.S. citizens.

The 10-day Israel-Lebanon ceasefire was tested April 18 after an ambush in southern Lebanon killed a French soldier, highlighting Hezbollah’s alleged "human shield" tactics and drawing another nation into the conflict, a defense analyst said.

An IDF reservist was also killed, and nine soldiers were wounded—one seriously—on the same day, when an engineering vehicle drove over a bomb planted by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, the military said.

Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the INSS and the Misgav Institute in Tel Aviv, said the Iranian-backed group had spent years preparing the region for Israel’s arrival, relying on its entrenched, signature terror strategy—even after the latest ceasefire and the IDF’s re-entry into southern Lebanon in March.

"This is the rationale of human shields, using the population and sensitive civilian facilities in order to store weapons and use places for terror and operational purposes," Michael told Fox News Digital.

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"Hezbollah worked for decades to build an entire facility, part of it underground, below private residential buildings and houses, preparing themselves for a surprise attack on Israel," Michael added.

"They were well-prepared to defend themselves once the IDF entered and tried to fight them," he said.

France’s foreign minister said the soldier was killed in a close-range ambush and struck by a direct shot.

The minister said the attack happened during a patrol clearing explosives near Ghandouriyeh, when troops came under small-arms fire from "non-state actors," a term often used to refer to groups like Hezbollah.

"They operate in the Shiite villages and among the Shiite population who are supported by Hezbollah," Michael said, before describing how "most people in these southern villages are connected to Hezbollah" in one way or another and are "heavily dependent on the terror organization."

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"All community life and infrastructure in these Shiite villages and towns are an effective cover for terror purposes and Hezbollah activities," he added.

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the soldier's death.

"Sgt. Maj. Florian Montorio of the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment in Montauban was killed this morning in southern Lebanon during an attack against UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon)," Macron said. "Three of his comrades were wounded and evacuated."

"All indications suggest that Hezbollah is responsible for this attack. France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest those responsible and take responsibility alongside UNIFIL," Macron added.

Michael, however, claimed Macron’s response was, in some ways, inconsistent, as the president has been drawn into the war.

At first, France had called Israeli strikes on Lebanon on April 8 "intolerable" and opposed a ground offensive.

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Israel's ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, also expressed his wish to keep Macron out of ceasefire negotiations, highlighting tensions surrounding his policy.

"When it comes to Hezbollah breaches against Israel, the French demand Israel restrain and contain, but when it comes to one of their soldiers, they are furious at Hezbollah," Michael said.

"That said, Hezbollah has breached the ceasefire agreement since its first moment," Michael added.

Hezbollah has since denied the ambush, with the soldier’s death still underscoring the volatility of the 10-day ceasefire, which came into effect April 16.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack in a statement and said an initial assessment by the UN Interim Force in Lebanon found it was carried out by Hezbollah.

According to the U.S. State Department, under the terms of the 2026 ceasefire, brought about by negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, Israel retains the right to act in self-defense against threats, while Lebanon must take steps to prevent attacks by Hezbollah and other armed groups.

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Lebanon’s security forces are solely responsible for national security, and both sides have asked the U.S. to continue facilitating talks to resolve remaining issues.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also said it carried out strikes in response to what it described as "ceasefire violations by Hezbollah."

Michael also emphasized Iran’s continued influence as Hezbollah operates in southern Lebanon as an "unrestrained political force."

"Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is still in charge of Hezbollah," he added, before saying that the Lebanese army is also "unwilling to fight or confront Hezbollah."

"First, because of the Shiite segment of this army that identifies with Hezbollah, and secondly, because it is afraid that confronting Hezbollah will lead to a civil war, a trauma they still have since the first one in 1975, lasting 15 years — until 1990."

Michael added: "The Shiite militia, also controlled by Iran, is not subordinate to state authority, enabling Hezbollah to operate as an unrestrained political force within the Lebanese political system."