Unconfirmed reports suggest that Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, a hard-line Iranian general thought to have gained influence near Tehran’s power center, has been "eliminated."

Vahidi, who heads Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, has become a major player in formulating Iran’s tough stance in negotiating a possible end to the war with the United States, The Caspian Post reports, citing Gulf news.

Vahidi, who heads Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, has become a major player in formulating Iran’s tough stance in negotiating a possible end to the war with the United States.

Believed to be part of a small clique in direct contact with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khameini (who remains in hiding after being reportedly wounded in the Feb. 28 Israeli strikes), Vahidi is now subject of much speculation.

Unconfirmed reports circulating on social media claim that Vahidi was killed in a recent Israeli airstrike on Tehran.

Previous rumours regarding Vahidi's death have circulated and later proved unsubstantiated.

The claims originated from several social media accounts and commentators monitoring the ongoing confrontation between Israel and Iran.

Vahidi has long been a controversial figure in regional politics and security affairs.

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War states that Brig. Gen Ahmad Vahidi and his inner circle within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) dominate Iran’s political and military decision-making.

Vahidi’s faction has reportedly "marginalised" civilian officials and is leading a hardline stance against compromises with the United States.