Source: PBS' Worldfocus
Secretary Clinton’s recent remark that Iran is moving towards becoming a “military dictatorship” has helped spotlight the role of the Revolutionary Guards in Iran. Karim Sadjadpour asserts that “the Revolutionary Guards has surpassed the clergy in Iran in terms of political and economic influence and are running Iranian foreign policy in Iraq, Lebanon and Afghanistan.”
Ayatollah Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad have spearheaded this transition to military dictatorship. The regime is facing increasing scrutiny on its nuclear program, after a recent International Atomic Energy Agency report stated that Iran has either resumed work on making a nuclear warhead or had never stopped. Although many actors in the international community have expressed concerns over this report, Sadjadpour suggests that it will not be a “game changer” nor affect the Obama administration’s efforts to sanction Iran.