After Iran's Supreme Leader was killed, military generals—not clerics—now control the country, making pragmatic deals over ideology. Farnaz Fassihi reveals how the Revolutionary Guards are running Iran's government, the new leader's deep ties to these commanders, and what their real negotiating goals are. The Revolutionary Guards, not the Supreme Leader, now make critical decisions in Iran following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, representing a fundamental shift from clerical to military rule.