Vahidi – The Butcher of Tehran Must Be Arrested: A Constitutional Indictment

Peloni:  Should Trump’s efforts of seeking Regime Transformation rather than Regime Change succeed, it would leave the fate of Iran in the hands of the IRGC, making the following inspection of source of that authority somewhat relevant, even in a state which is more of a terrorist cabal than a state.

Mariam Gregorio 

Ahmad Vahidi. Photo by Tasnim News Agency, CC BY 4.0, Wikipedia

Vahidi believes he is trying to expand his authority to become supreme dictator of Iran. Every decision he has made is in direct violation of the Iranian Constitution. He now tells the President he does not have the authority to replace the Iranian Foreign Minister – who has become a mouthpiece for Vahidi. The legal framework is the constitution: the “rulebook” for how Iran must function.

The Constitutional Framework vs. The Conduct of Vahidi

Article 110: The Supreme Leader is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, can declare war and ceasefire, and appoints senior military commanders.

• The “Ghost Leader” (Mojtaba) has not been seen in two months.

• Vahidi is making all military and strategic decisions independently, claiming Mojtaba has consented.

• What it proves: The Supreme Leader is not in command. Vahidi is. The constitution is void where it matters most.

Article 110: The Supreme Leader appoints half the members of the Guardian Council (which vets officials) and the head of the Judiciary.

• Vahidi has openly declared that he, not the president, will directly select and manage “all key and sensitive managerial posts”.

• What it proves: The IRGC has usurped the Leader’s appointment authority. The military is now the hiring and firing body.

Article 107: The Supreme Leader is chosen by the Assembly of Experts, requiring a two-thirds majority.

• Vahidi hijacked the process and insisted Mojtaba be the supreme leader despite the father’s will and the objections of the clerics.

• Mojtaba’s appointment was done without his knowledge or consent the day after the strike that killed his father and seriously injured him.

• What it proves: The constitutional selection process was hijacked by Vahidi. He alone made the decision. Mojtaba is not a lawfully appointed supreme leader.

Article 150: The IRGC acts as the “protector of the revolution and its achievements,” ultimately answerable to the Supreme Leader.

• Vahidi, as leader of the IRGC, has acted as the sole decision-maker for the state – dictating foreign policy, sidelining the president, and eliminating witnesses.

• What it proves: The protector has become a dictator. The IRGC do not have to answer to a Leader that acts with impunity and violates the constitution; they are obliged to arrest him and protect the constitution.

The President: The president is the head of government, selects cabinet members, and represents the country in diplomacy, though power ultimately rests with the Leader.

• Vahidi is telling President Pezeshkian he cannot fire his foreign minister, cannot appoint replacements for war casualties, and has been placed in a “complete political deadlock”.

• What it proves: Vahidi has placed himself as autonomous leader and dictator. The elected government is a powerless ornament. The civilian government has been abolished.

Article 110 (Succession): The Assembly of Experts selects a new Leader in the event of death or incapacity.

• Mojtaba’s condition is unknown. Numerous conflicting leaks about his condition exist. In reality, it is unknown if he is alive.

• He has not been seen since the day of the strike and has no idea of the true status of the war. He was appointed without his knowledge or consent.

• Vahidi has risen as dictator, intent on war.

• What it proves: The constitutional mechanism for succession has been abandoned. There will be no new election. The office is being erased.

The Legal Prostitution of the Constitution: How Vahidi Discarded the Rule of Law

Vahidi is simply ignoring the constitution. He has prostituted it to seize control of the country.

• The Supreme Leader’s Powers: Article 110 gives the Leader command of the armed forces. In reality, Vahidi is commanding the Supreme Leader, the IRGC, and the country.

• The appointment of Mojtaba was orchestrated by Vahidi, disregarding the father’s will and the objections of the clerics. It was never a legitimate appointment.

• Vahidi’s declaration that the IRGC will run all key managerial posts is a direct violation of the Leader’s constitutional authority to make appointments.

• The Assembly of Experts: Its authority to select the Leader was usurped by Vahidi; he demanded Mojtaba’s appointment through a “choreographed” process. Any appointment in violation of the orders contained in the father’s will, the objections of the clerical council, and the warnings of Ghalibaf is illegitimate.

• Ghalibaf warned: “if Mojtaba was appointed, Vahidi would seize total control of the country.” He was right.

• The Assembly has been effectively suspended by Vahidi since the strike that killed Ali Khamenei on 28 February.

• The President’s Authority: Pezeshkian’s constitutional role as the head of the executive branch has been rendered void. There are no articles in the constitution that permit Vahidi the authority to sideline the president and civilian government, let alone override him.

• Vahidi has completed a full coup of the country. He is a dictator heading a military junta.

• Vahidi now wants to dictate foreign policy. The president and Mojtaba (if he is alive) are both hostages.

Under Vahidi, the Islamic Republic is Unconstitutional

The constitution is the “birth certificate” of the Islamic Republic. It defines the state, its powers, and its limits. The current regime is systematically violating that document’s most fundamental principles.

• The Leader is absent or dead. His constitutional functions are being usurped by the IRGC.

• The Assembly of Experts is sidelined. The constitutional mechanism for succession has been abandoned.

• The president is a figurehead. His constitutional authority has been stripped away by the military.

• The IRGC has openly defied its constitutional role. It no longer “protects” the revolution. It is the revolution.

Therefore, the government in Tehran is no longer a constitutional Islamic Republic. It is an illegal military junta operating under a suspended constitution. The “Ghost Leader” is not just a person; it is the entire constitutional order.

IRGC: The Onus is Now on You

The onus is now on the IRGC to take immediate steps to safeguard, protect and uphold the constitution. They cannot allow Vahidi “the Butcher of Tehran” to make them complicit. When the fog of war decapitates and the dust settles, there will be a day of reckoning.

Vahidi is hiding behind the full weight and force of the IRGC, making them complicit in his actions. The IRGC must uphold the integrity of the nation’s constitution. Vahidi needs to be arrested and held to account.

The IRGC must verify the status of Mojtaba:

• Is Mojtaba Khamenei alive? If so, where is he, and who has access to him?

• If he is alive, is he conscious and coherent? Is he capable of making decisions?

• Is he aware of the true status of the war – the collapse of the economy, the oil storage crisis, the blockade, the internal fractures?

• Did he agree to and endorse every decision Vahidi has claimed to make in his name?

If the answers to any of these questions affirm that Vahidi has misused or abused the title of the Supreme Leader or willfully misled the nation, he must be held to account to the highest standard.

The Future of Iran is in the Hands of the IRGC

They can continue to follow a butcher into the abyss – or they can arrest him, restore the constitution, and answer the questions they have so far avoided.

The choice is theirs.