New collective leadership emerges in Iran

According to a New York Times report, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has become the dominant ruling force in Iran as Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's health severely deteriorates. Khamenei has undergone multiple surgeries on his leg, which may have been amputated, and suffers from nerve damage and facial injuries that impair his speech. Due to extreme security precautions and fear of assassination, communication with Khamenei is slow, prompting IRGC generals to take the initiative in key decisions, including attacks on Israel and Gulf states, closing the Strait of Hormuz, and agreeing to a ceasefire with the United States. The IRGC has sidelined Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in favor of Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and military generals, who participated in Islamabad negotiations for the first time.