A career soldier, former defence minister and current head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Vahidi represents the hardliners within Iran's regime and stands as the chief opponent of Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf on negotiating with America in the 2026 war. A former Israeli intelligence officer who worked on Iran has called him "an end-of-days man", a reference to the Shia millenarianism that some reckon guides him. Mr Vahidi believes America will only tighten the noose and Iran should resist while it can; he argues that war would keep people indoors and could rally some behind the regime.
Cuddy had only been a guard for a few days, but already he had absorbed one important and basic fact: it is almost impossible for anyone to be in a street without breaking the law.