The analysis points out that Iran’s overlapping centers of power complicate efforts to end the war with the United States, and that the Revolutionary Guards possess significant operational autonomy.

CNBC analysis notes that Iran’s overlapping power structures—including the Supreme Leader, the Revolutionary Guards, and the civilian government—complicate efforts to end the war with the United States and implement any ceasefire agreement. The report states that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is the “dominant force” in the realms of war and national security, possessing significant operational autonomy and reporting directly to the Supreme Leader rather than the civilian government. This has led to the possibility that different factions may interpret the terms of a ceasefire differently and may escalate the conflict through Iranian-backed regional armed groups—as exemplified by this week’s attacks on Saudi oil facilities in Iraq by Iranian allies and the Houthi attacks on pipeline infrastructure in Yemen.