In his latest Middle Eastern Outlook, AEI resident fellow Ali Alfoneh argues that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) is slowly taking over Iran. Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini controlled the IRGC by assigning personal representatives and commissars to IRGC units and offices. Under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's rule, the commissars consolidated their positions and exerted enough power to help stymie political reforms. Today, the system is weak, and the commissars act more as spokesmen for the guards than as agents overseeing the IRGC and ensuring that the supreme leader maintains power over the guards. The IRGC now has more autonomy than ever before and is more likely to engage in politics. This change undermines Khamenei's authority and is to the detriment of outsiders who would engage the regime.

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