Exclusive: Ayatollah Fled to Russia, IRGC Has Taken Control
A stunning new Newsmax Platinum Intelligence Brief pulls back the curtain on the real power structure inside Iran — and the implications could reshape the Middle East overnight.
Drawing on a senior Gulf-based source, the report reveals how Iran’s civilian leadership has been effectively sidelined.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is now driving nearly all major decisions — from military strategy to nuclear policy.
Even more alarming, the country’s top leadership is described as increasingly isolated and vulnerable, amid growing fears of deep foreign intelligence penetration.
Our source reveals that Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has been wounded and was evacuated to Russia.
The brief also uncovers the critical importance of Kharg Island, the economic lifeline of Iran.
President Donald Trump is planning on taking Kharg soon by force — and nearby oil fields.
This move could cripple Tehran’s economy while dramatically shifting global energy markets.
But there is a wild card: Russia.
The breakdown in Iran’s civilian leadership and the growing role of Russia mean this crisis could escalate significantly.
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March 23, 2026, 02:15 PM
CPD SIG
quote:
Originally posted by konata88:
To the media, personal costs from rising gas prices are far more important than freeing a country from decades of a tyrannical dictatorship and a proven enemy of the state.
e
The “media” could give a flying fuck less about Iran, the price of gas, the cure for cancer… Anything, ANY THING to make “Orange Man Bad”!!! Oh look, Trump is starting another war we’ll never get out of! Oh look, Trump has his gestapo beating up and killing US Citizens! Oh look, Trump did this…
Anything to make President Trump look bad. Fuck the “media”. They’re useless.
______________________________________________________________________ "When its time to shoot, shoot. Dont talk!"
“What the government is good at is collecting taxes, taking away your freedoms and killing people. It’s not good at much else.” —Author Tom Clancy
March 23, 2026, 02:22 PM
CPD SIG
quote:
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is now driving nearly all major decisions — from military strategy to nuclear policy.
Even more alarming, the country’s top leadership is described as increasingly isolated and vulnerable, amid growing fears of deep foreign intelligence penetration.
Our source reveals that Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has been wounded and was evacuated to Russia
Well, it’s kind of hard to rule a country when it’s top leaders keep getting taken out. It sends a message to the next level of leadership that wants to take the reins. “Oh no Habib, I do not want that job! I don’t want my virgins just yet!”
Lil Khomeni fled to Russia? And they accepted him? Color me surprised!
______________________________________________________________________ "When its time to shoot, shoot. Dont talk!"
“What the government is good at is collecting taxes, taking away your freedoms and killing people. It’s not good at much else.” —Author Tom Clancy
March 23, 2026, 02:56 PM
corsair
Whose ass needs to be held to the fire? The last 5-years has seen the advent of a series of kinetic counter-drone tools, has the USAF decided that none of them are worth employing?
Unauthorized drones flew over Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, home of a B-52 bomber wing, multiple times the week of March 9, Air & Space Forces Magazine has confirmed.
And at the start of U.S. operations against Iran on Feb. 28, small drones seen flying over a “strategic U.S. installation” were defeated, the head of U.S. Northern Command told lawmakers.
Barksdale announced March 9 it was implementing a “shelter-in-place” order after a drone incursion, and a 2nd Bomb Wing spokesperson confirmed March 20 that “multiple unauthorized incursions” have happened since. NORTHCOM boss Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, meanwhile, briefly mentioned a small drone incursion in written testimony to Congress on March 17 and 19.
“In the early hours of Operation Epic Fury last month, a deployed [flyaway kit of counter-UAS technologies] successfully detected and defeated sUAS operating over a strategic U.S. installation,” Guillot wrote, referring to a deployable new equipment package meant to rapidly respond to drone incursions over military bases in the U.S.
It is unclear if the incidents were part of a series of incursions or related in any way.
A NORTHCOM spokesperson declined to specify which base Guillot was referring to but did say there were multiple incursions and personnel used the flyaway kit’s “jamming protocol.”
.... The Barksdale incident is the first publicly reported instance of such incursions over a U.S. bomber base, though there was a similar incident at a British base hosting U.S. bombers in 2024. ABC News reported March 20 that officials there noted “waves of 12-15 drones operating over sensitive areas of the installation, including the flight line.” The drones had features and behaved in way suggesting they were not operated by hobbyists, the network reported, including “non-commercial signal characteristics, long-range control links, and resistance to jamming.” ...
The “flyaway kit” that downed at least some unmanned systems, according to Guillot’s written testimony, is a new capability NORTHCOM started pursuing last spring. The kit, which can be deoloyed to any installation in need within 24 hours, includes a drone detection system, countermeasures such as jammers, lasers, and kinetic systems, and control software. Officials have not specified the technologies included.
The secrecy—about where the kit is deployed and what specific capabilities it includes—is necessary to ensure its effectiveness, the NORTHCOM spokesperson said.
“Connecting the Flyway Kit to a specific base can potentially illuminate that base’s vulnerabilities to an adversary,” the spokesperson said. “Additionally, by confirming a specific Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft System (C-sUAS) platform, we would potentially give an adversary an advantage in circumventing our C-sUAS capabilities at that location.” ....
March 23, 2026, 03:42 PM
Skins2881
So we have the ability to use jamming, kinetic, and directed energy attacks, but we won't use them, because their use would give away our capabilities or tell the enemy that the base is a base?
Seems suspicious. Get some fucking lasers and jammers set up, it's nearly free to deploy. Jesus, just use hobby drones as kinetic weapons. Do something, fuck.
Jesse
Sic Semper Tyrannis
March 23, 2026, 03:49 PM
AirmanJeff
quote:
Originally posted by konata88:
quote:
Originally posted by egregore: I just love how the media has played this. "The fastest-rising oil and gas prices in history!" "Rising gas prices may wipe out Trump tax refunds!"
To the media, personal costs from rising gas prices are far more important than freeing a country from decades of a tyrannical dictatorship and a proven enemy of the state.
We're in a perpetual, never ending war with these dictators. We have a chance to end it now. But no, that's not worth a transient rise in gas prices.
Will the Board of Peace recommend a war with North Korea next?
March 23, 2026, 04:14 PM
Fly-Sig
quote:
Originally posted by konata88:
To the media, personal costs from rising gas prices are far more important than freeing a country from decades of a tyrannical dictatorship and a proven enemy of the state.
I made a comment on a lefty social media post about the horrors of gas prices being up, and how evil Trump is for doing this to us. I commented that a little bit extra at the pump for a short while is a lot better than Iran lighting off nukes. There was a chorus from the lefties about how Iran actually hasn't been trying to get nukes, they wouldn't use them, we were horrible and we'd deserve it if they did.
The media loves stirring up their audience, and the audience fully believes what they're told.
March 23, 2026, 04:34 PM
chellim1
quote:
President Donald Trump is planning on taking Kharg soon by force — and nearby oil fields.
That would make Lindsey Graham happy... Lindsey Graham on Kharg Island: "We did Iwo Jima. We can do this."
"Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible." -- Justice Janice Rogers Brown
"The United States government is the largest criminal enterprise on earth." -rduckwor
March 23, 2026, 05:59 PM
ScreamingCockatoo
quote:
Originally posted by corsair: Whose ass needs to be held to the fire? The last 5-years has seen the advent of a series of kinetic counter-drone tools, has the USAF decided that none of them are worth employing?
[QUOTE]Unauthorized drones flew over Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, home of a B-52 bomber wing, multiple times the week of March 9, Air & Space Forces Magazine has confirmed.
How the fuck are these things even getting close to a base? And will the drone "pilots" held as terrorists?
He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster.
March 23, 2026, 07:15 PM
Aglifter
Long long ago, I went to college with a brilliant young kid, who somehow was admitted younger than that school normally admitted students…. Who already was employed by the Feds, because his choice was that or prison.
I realize it sounds like a sea story, but we knew he was under 18, and exceptionally bright, and talented with computers - all of that was demonstrated.
I suspect we may need to do something similar with bright young minds building drones.
March 23, 2026, 07:15 PM
Aglifter
That he worked for the Feds, was not demonstrated, TMK, but would explain how he was admitted, etc.
March 23, 2026, 07:53 PM
wishfull thinker
quote:
Originally posted by chellim1:
snip>
Lindsey Graham on Kharg Island: "We did Iwo Jima. We can do this."
"We" did, huh, Lindsey? My Uncle Bill was there, maybe you knew him...
nota bene: The Battle of Iwo Jima resulted in over 26,000 American casualties, including nearly 7,000 U.S. Marines and Navy personnel killed or missing in the 36-day fight.
_______________________
March 24, 2026, 12:56 PM
chellim1
I don't see the off-ramp...
US To Order 3,000 82nd Airborne Soldiers To Mideast; Tehran Appoints Larijani Successor, Cuts Gas Flows To Turkey
WSJ, Fox reporting 3,000 elite Army Airborne soldiers to be ordered to Middle East.
Backchannel diplomacy vs skepticism: Abbas Araghchi reportedly signaled openness to negotiations with the US via envoy Steve Witkoff, but Israel has appeared cool on deal prospects or offramp.
Heavy exchange of fire and testing red lines: Iran continues missile and drone waves targeting Israel and US bases, amid reports of overnight airstrikes on military and gas infrastructure near Isfahan.
Iran reshuffles its security leadership, appointing Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr: he's a former IRGC commander and replaces the assassinated Ali Larijani.
Iran halts natural gas exports to Turkey: follows last week's Israeli strike on the massive South Pars gas field; QatarEnergy declares force majeure on some LNG contracts due war.
* * * 82nd Airborne Division Deploying to Middle East
Amid speculation that President Trump could seek to force open the Strait of Hormuz by some kind of ultra high risk Kharg Island takeover operation, Fox chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin has posted the following:
Fox News has learned that the Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division Maj Gen Brandon Tegtmeier and his “command element,” members of his headquarters staff, have been ordered to deploy to the Middle East as the Pentagon and White House weigh whether to send the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East for possible land operations.
It was only on Monday that the NYT began reporting Pentagon was seriously weighing whether to send the elite 82nd Airborne. This would be a sure sign of escalation into potential 'ground operations'.
Here's more from WSJ:
The Pentagon is planning to deploy about 3,000 soldiers from the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East to support operations against Iran, according to two U.S. officials, with a written order expected in the coming hours.
Officials cautioned that a decision to put boots on the ground in Iran hasn’t been made. But deploying the 82nd opens the door to President Trump for several strategic options.
"Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible." -- Justice Janice Rogers Brown
"The United States government is the largest criminal enterprise on earth." -rduckwor
March 24, 2026, 03:23 PM
sigmonkey
If you see a conga line of C-17s heading east from The Med/Israel/Jordon/Iraq, and turn of their ADSB. you will know the flying cans of Solid Packed Whoopass are bringing Donkey Kong.
And you may well bet there will be a large number of IDF as well.
"the meaning of life, is to give life meaning" ✡ Ani Yehudi אני יהודי Le'olam lo shuv לעולם לא עוד
March 24, 2026, 03:51 PM
trapper189
That’s 4,700 marines and 3,000 army airborne heading to the Middle East. The marines are on boats though, the USS Tripoli and the USS Boxer.
March 24, 2026, 04:01 PM
PASig
quote:
Originally posted by chellim1:
I don't see the off-ramp...
Oh ye of little faith...
March 24, 2026, 04:09 PM
YooperSigs
Before our troops hit the beach on Kharg, Arc Light every square inch of it!
End of Earth: 2 Miles Upper Peninsula: 4 Miles
March 24, 2026, 04:17 PM
pedropcola
Yup. And infrastructure. If they can’t remove their regime then let’s bring them back to rocks and sticks.
This is a big if and a potentially costly one but you remove this player from the board the entire planet becomes safer overnight. That’s not hyperbole.
March 24, 2026, 04:24 PM
trapper189
I read we have A10s and Apaches patrolling the Strait of Hormuz.
