When the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Mohammed Pakpour, was killed, Tehran wasn't without a leader for a single day. The same day, in his place, was appointed brigadier general Ahmad Vahidi - a man who has had a red notice from Interpol since 2007.

Vahidi isn't new. He is the Iranian military fabric itself. Has been minister of the interior. Has been minister of defence. Has been deputy commander of the IRGC. He is the founder of the elite Quds Force, the same one later led by general Qasem Soleimani - killed by an American drone in 2020.

For the West, Vahidi is a face from a dossier. His name is tied to the attack on the Jewish centre in Buenos Aires in 1994 in which 85 people were killed. Argentina demanded his extradition. Interpol approved the notice. But Iran sent him on to several of the highest posts.

Now - the IRGC. That's the military force that controls Hormuz, that runs operations in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon, that has a direct line to Supreme Leader Khamenei. Analyst Kamran Bokhari told Newsweek that Vahidi "is the man who now pulls every string".

What does this mean for negotiations with Washington? Nothing good. Vahidi isn't a diplomat. He's a military operator who for decades has endured sanctions and rival assassinations. From his biography, do not expect compromise on the nuclear programme or on the maritime routes.

In the Balkans we have this in our own version - people with biographies full of sanctions and warrants who end up in the highest posts. When the West then sits down with them at the negotiating table, it has to admit it has already lost half the battle - because it is dealing with a man who doesn't accept the Western world.