Diplomatic source: IRGC chief calling shots on Iran war, believes Tehran is winning

 Pakistan believes that the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, Ahmad Vahidi, is effectively making the decisions in Iran, and is convinced his country is winning the war with the United States and Israel, a diplomatic source told Haaretz.

According to assessments in Pakistan, who is attempting to mediate between the United States and Iran, Vahidi is not inclined to agree to compromises as part of a deal to end the war.

The Pakistani assessment was conveyed to participants of a summit held last week between representatives of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey in Islamabad. The source noted that Pakistan also estimates Iran possesses about 15,000 ballistic missiles and about 45,000 drones.

Pakistani officials also believe the United States is more interested in a deal than Iran, even though the Trump administration still insists on the 15 demands it submitted to Iran through Pakistan's mediation. These include conditions Tehran will not accept, such as a halt to uranium enrichment and a limit on the range of ballistic missiles.

For now, it appears that mediation efforts by Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt to reach an agreement on a framework for a cease-fire are not bearing fruit.

The new deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is set to expire on Tuesday at 8 P.M. EST, "otherwise the gates of hell will open" and strikes against the country will be intensified.

Saudi Arabia, for its part, also sets conditions for a possible cease-fire, demanding Iran's ballistic missile program be restricted to block Iran from threatening its neighbors. Iran is not expected to agree to this condition either.

Officials in Egypt and Turkey, who have also been affected by the global energy crisis stemming from the blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, are interested in a cease-fire as soon as possible.

Turkey's stance on the matter presented to the region is that Israel, not Iran, is the main destabilizing factor in the Middle East.

Pakistan proposed a cease-fire plan to the United States and Iran on Monday, which would see an immediate cease-fire, followed by negotiations on a broader peace settlement to be concluded within 15-20 days, a source aware of the proposals said.

Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has been in contact "all night long" with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the source said.

An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said later Monday that Tehran ⁠has formulated ‌its positions and demands in response ‌to recent cease-fire proposals conveyed via intermediaries, ⁠adding that negotiations were "incompatible with ultimatums and threats to commit war crimes."