This site: Irans Political Setup Doesn’t Add Up

Iran's government is not a single decision-making body, and the current standoff keeps exposing that gap. The president runs the civilian administration while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operates under the Supreme Leader's authority, not the president's.

That split matters because the IRGC controls much of Iran's security and regional strategy, which can push policy in a different direction than the elected government wants. Meanwhile, the U.S. keeps trying to read Tehran's intentions through public statements that may not reflect who holds the final word.

The result is a system where diplomacy, military signaling, and internal politics all run on separate tracks. Until those tracks converge, outside powers will keep guessing which version of Iran they are actually dealing with.