Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan, a commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has announced his candidacy for the Iranian presidential elections in June 2021. Dehghan has a toxic military background. In the 1980s he was responsible for the vicious crackdown on opponents of the Islamic regime, and he played a central role in the bombing of the US Marine barracks in Beirut that killed hundreds. He may well become the new president of the Islamic regime as more military men are expected to run for the office.

In 2021, Iran will be preparing for a presidential election even as it faces an unprecedented economic crisis. Some conservatives argue that a military figure could turn the country around by virtue of his “jihadist spirit” and “military charisma.” While the allure of such a person as president is attractive to some in Tehran, structural impediments remain. The power of the Office of the Supreme Leader will prove a formidable obstacle in the path of any military figure who hopes to ascend to the presidency in the near term.