Internal tensions in Iran are escalating, as the country’s hardline factions accuse the political leadership of attempting a “coup” against the Islamic Republic, at a time when the fragile truce with the United States is under intense pressure.

According to CNN, the anger of the most extremist circles was even evident during the funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran. While Iranian President Masoud Pezeskian walked beside the coffin, part of the crowd was not chanting slogans in honor of the late leader, but was turning against him with the slogan “Death to the compromiser.”

Shortly afterward, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who negotiated the ceasefire with the Trump administration and the lifting of certain sanctions against Iran, was forced to leave the ceremony when a crowd booed him and threw stones at him, accusing him of being a “traitor.”

The accusations of “treason”

The attacks against top officials reflect a theory that is gaining ground in the regime’s most radical circles: that Iran’s leaders who negotiated the agreement with Washington are attempting a “soft coup” against the Islamic Republic and the ideals of the 1979 revolution.

Hardliners argue that, instead of avenging Khamenei’s death, the Iranian authorities “surrendered” by signing an agreement that violates the orders of the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, son and successor of the late leader.

Mohtaba Khamenei, however, remains out of the public eye, having neither addressed the people directly nor appeared to be actively exercising his authority. His absence has fueled the theories and accusations of hardliners.

“A warning to the people of Iran: Is a coup coming?” wrote the extremist lawmaker Mahmoud Nabavian in X a few days before Khamenei’s funeral.

He later stated that “at this time of bidding farewell to the martyr Imam Khamenei, we raise the banner of vengeance and stand against the coup.”

Pezehskian, Galibaf, and Araghchi in the Crosshairs

With the new supreme leader remaining out of the public eye, President Masoud Pezeskian, Speaker of the Parliament Mohammad Bagher Galibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have become the most recognizable figures in Iran’s post-war leadership.

Analyst Aras Azizi, an expert on Iran and author of the book “What the Iranians Want,” told CNN that the absence of Mojtaba Khamenei has left room for Galibaf and his allies to gain greater influence.

“The hardliners are now accusing Galibaf and Pezeskian of plotting a coup against Mojtaba,” he noted.

At the same time, some hardliners accuse the leadership of attempting to strengthen the Supreme National Security Council, thereby limiting the role of the supreme leader and parliament.

The fragile ceasefire and the return of tension

Despite calls for unity in the midst of war, the multi-day ceremony for Ali Khamenei turned into a show of force by the regime’s most hardline supporters, who demanded revenge through a new conflict with the U.S. and rejected any agreement with Donald Trump.

Developments in the Strait of Hormuz appear to have strengthened their position. The fragile truce between Washington and Tehran began to crumble following the Revolutionary Guards’ attacks on ships in the region, with the U.S. responding with new military strikes.

Hardliners are now calling for the complete cancellation of the agreement.

Threats have even been directed at the president

Before the new hostilities broke out, extremist voices had already turned against those who signed the agreement with the U.S.

At a ceremony, Mohammad Ali Bakshi, a religious singer with ties to the regime, threatened President Pezeskian, saying:

“Mr. President, if the leader’s terms are not met, it will be us, the blade, and your throat. We will bring hell upon you.”

The public threat to assassinate the president sparked outrage, but according to CNN, Bakshi has not faced any legal consequences.

The “Hyper-Revolutionaries” are pushing for the war to continue

The most extreme factions are linked to the “Jebhe-ye Paydari” (Resistance Front) movement, whose members are often referred to as “ultra-revolutionaries.”

They consider themselves the guardians of the values of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and view any agreement with the West as a threat to the regime.

However, analysts believe that the political leadership is trying to limit their influence.

“We see Qalibaf trying to sideline these hardline elements. They are very costly for the system, and their rivalries are now becoming public, especially as the situation in Iran becomes more unstable,” said Hamidreza Azizi of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

Deep Divisions, but a Common Goal

Despite the apparent disagreements, experts believe that the Iranian regime remains united around a fundamental goal: ending the war on terms that will ensure the lifting of sanctions and the preservation of Tehran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz.

However, the continued absence of the new supreme leader, his limited support for the ceasefire, the growing power of the Revolutionary Guards, and the massive turnout at his father’s funeral have emboldened hardliners to push for a continuation of the conflict with the U.S. and IsraelIsrael.

“My proposal is to go to one of the American bases in the region, where there are hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of American terrorists. It would be enough to take 100 soldiers and bring them back to Iran,” said former Iranian Foreign Minister and hard-line politician Manouchehr Mottaki.

Source: ertnews.gr