TEHRAN, July 9 — When Ebrahim Raisi was elected president of Iran in 2021, he stepped into a role defined by confrontation. A hardliner, Raisi has overseen a period of escalating tension with the West, particularly the United States. His tenure has unfolded against the backdrop of a complex US-Iran standoff.
On one side sits US President Joe Biden, who has pursued a policy of ‘maximum pressure’ through sanctions while seeking diplomatic engagement. On the other, Raisi has taken a hardline stance.
But Raisi is not the ultimate authority in Iran. That power rests with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who has held the position since 1989. Khamenei holds ultimate authority.
Raisi, while the public face of the government, operates within the boundaries set by the Supreme Leader. The diplomatic front has been led by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has led diplomatic efforts.
His Iranian counterpart, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, has been a key negotiator. Their exchanges have yet to produce a breakthrough. On the military side, US General Michael Kurilla, who heads Central Command, or CENTCOM, oversees military operations in the region.
His command is responsible for monitoring Iranian military movements and for ensuring freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf. The nuclear dimension remains the most volatile element of the standoff. Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has reported on Iran’s nuclear activities.
His reports have raised alarm in Washington and among US allies. These individuals — the politicians, the diplomats, the generals, the inspectors — shape the trajectory of a conflict that has no easy resolution.
Raisi’s hardline approach has made diplomatic progress slow and painful. The Biden administration’s dual strategy of sanctions and negotiation has not yet yielded the desired result. For now, the standoff continues.
The key question hanging over the region is whether Raisi and Khamenei will ever agree to the terms the US and its allies demand, or whether the pressure will eventually force a change in course. The answer lies in the hands of the men who lead both nations.
