Tehran: Tensions within the Iranian political establishment have reached a critical juncture as President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf reportedly seek the dismissal of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Reports from Iran International suggest that the leadership is deeply fractured over allegations that Araghchi has bypassed the presidency to align himself with the directives of the Revolutionary Guard. This discord highlights a growing power struggle in Tehran, where the traditional cabinet structure appears to be clashing with the military command during a period of intense regional instability and diplomatic pressure.
The core of the dispute involves claims that Araghchi has been operating in close coordination with Ahmad Vahidi, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, effectively acting as an aide to the military leader rather than a civilian government minister. Sources indicate that Pezeshkian feels significantly undermined by the Foreign Minister’s shift toward military influence, particularly during sensitive diplomatic manoeuvres. The President has reportedly expressed to his inner circle that he is prepared to remove Araghchi if this perceived insubordination continues, as he struggles to maintain authority over an administration increasingly caught in a political deadlock.
This internal rift is further exacerbated by Vahidi’s assertion that the current wartime emergency necessitates that the Revolutionary Guards hold direct control over all sensitive managerial posts. This stance has allegedly stripped Pezeshkian of his power to appoint replacements for officials lost during recent hostilities, leading to a state of administrative paralysis. Disagreements between the presidency and the military command previously surfaced in March over the management of the conflict and its devastating impact on the national economy, highlighting a fundamental divide on how to address the country’s security and livelihoods.
On the legislative front, the friction was recently visible when a group of hardline lawmakers refused to sign a parliamentary statement supporting the state’s negotiating team. While over 260 members of parliament backed the document, prominent figures aligned with Saeed Jalili withheld their signatures, illustrating the fractured nature of the domestic political landscape. This dissent followed the resignation of Speaker Ghalibaf as the head of the negotiating team after he was reprimanded for attempting to include nuclear energy issues in ongoing discussions.
Following Ghalibaf’s exit, Araghchi attempted to lead the diplomatic efforts independently, travelling to Islamabad in late April to deliver a proposal intended for the United States. However, that initiative was subsequently rejected by the American president, leaving the Iranian diplomatic mission in a state of strategic uncertainty. As this power struggle intensifies, the future of the Iranian cabinet remains precarious, with the Revolutionary Guards asserting greater dominance over civilian governance while the country navigates a complex and volatile international environment.
