Negotiators in Islamabad, divide in Tehran; Analysts flag fractured Iran top brass

A new assessment by the US-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), has revealed that Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi and his "inner circle" have "repeatedly blocked attempts" by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and other "pragmatist" officials to push the Iranian regime toward a "more flexible negotiating position." According to the ISW, Vahidi appears to have "prevailed in this internal power struggle" and is set to shape the regime's approach toward negotiations and the war with a "maximalist and uncompromising stance." The assessment further suggests that Gh…