According to a report by Iran International, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf are seeking the removal of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi over concerns about his conduct in ongoing nuclear negotiations.
Citing two sources familiar with the matter, the report said Araghchi is accused of following instructions from Ahmad Vahidi, commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, without informing the president.
The sources claimed that Pezeshkian and Ghalibaf believe Araghchi has, in recent weeks, acted less like a cabinet minister implementing government policy and more like an aide to Vahidi. According to them, over the past fortnight Araghchi has acted without informing Pezeshkian, operating in full coordination with Vahidi and on the basis of his directives.
This has triggered growing unease within the executive leadership. The report noted that the situation has caused “deep dissatisfaction” for Pezeshkian, who has told close associates that he will dismiss Araghchi if this pattern continues.
These developments come against the backdrop of broader tensions within Iran’s power structure. Reports of divisions among Islamic Republic officials had previously surfaced, including disagreements between Pezeshkian and Vahidi over “the handling of the war and its destructive consequences for people’s livelihoods and the country’s economy”.
Subsequent reports suggested that Pezeshkian felt trapped in a “complete political deadlock” and had even lost authority over key administrative appointments, with the Revolutionary Guards tightening control over strategic positions during wartime.
Meanwhile, fractures have also emerged within Iran’s negotiating framework. On 27 April, several hardline lawmakers aligned with Saeed Jalili refused to back a parliamentary statement supporting negotiations led by Ghalibaf, even as 261 MPs endorsed it.
Earlier, Iran International reported that Ghalibaf had resigned as head of Iran’s negotiating team after being reprimanded over attempts to include nuclear energy in the talks. The report added that Araghchi was seeking to assume leadership of the negotiations following Ghalibaf’s exit.
Araghchi subsequently travelled alone to Islamabad on 24 April to deliver Tehran’s proposal, which was later rejected by the US president, according to media reports.
These developments underscore deepening fractures within Iran’s political and military leadership at a time when nuclear negotiations remain a critical geopolitical flashpoint.
