Story perspectives

Iran's Unity Trip to Pakistan Highlights IRGC Control Amid Blockade

4/25/2026

Left

Iran Delegation Unites

Human rights groups say the blockade has caused thousands of arrests and severe food and medicine shortages, deepening civilian suffering.
Iran sent a large, politically diverse delegation to Islamabad to demonstrate unity despite U.S. claims of internal fracture.
Mojtaba Khamenei’s absence leads analysts to say the Revolutionary Guard Corps now controls Iran’s policy.
Negotiators insist on civilian uranium enrichment and demand sanctions be lifted, limiting U.S. deal options.

Right

**IRGC Showcases Missiles**

Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s cease-fire extension, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps staged a Tehran parade showcasing ballistic missiles.
The cease-fire extension by President Donald Trump kept a naval blockade costing Iran $500 million daily.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denied a three-to-five-day deadline for the blockade.
Israeli troops and Debel’s Christian residents repaired a Jesus statue after an IDF soldier incident.

History

Historical Context

After the 1979 Iranian Revolution toppled Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and installed Ayatollah Khomeini, the Carter administration imposed a $2 billion arms embargo and froze $7 billion of Iranian assets, crippling the economy. The 1970s oil boom that fueled inflation and inequality. Decades later the Revolutionary Guard dominates policy, and Trump-era sanctions echo Carter’s pressure, sustaining the long-standing U.S.–Iran hostility.

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Iran Delegation Unites

Human rights groups say the blockade has caused thousands of arrests and severe food and medicine shortages, deepening civilian suffering.
Iran sent a large, politically diverse delegation to Islamabad to demonstrate unity despite U.S. claims of internal fracture.
Mojtaba Khamenei’s absence leads analysts to say the Revolutionary Guard Corps now controls Iran’s policy.
Negotiators insist on civilian uranium enrichment and demand sanctions be lifted, limiting U.S. deal options.

1 / 3