Key facts
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denied reports that he had threatened to resign multiple times.
- Pezeshkian stated he is committed to his presidency and will not resign.
- The denial comes amid ongoing discussions regarding a potential settlement with the US over the Strait of Hormuz.
- Hardline factions within Iran oppose reaching an agreement with the US.
- Pezeshkian asserted harmony with the military and dismissed claims of internal rifts.
- The Assembly of Experts issued a statement calling hopes for an agreement with the US 'futile'.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has denied reports that he has repeatedly threatened to resign, asserting his commitment to his role amid internal opposition to potential settlements with the United States over the Strait of Hormuz. The claims of resignation threats were made by Mohammad Bagher Kharazi, who is reportedly linked by marriage to Mojtaba Khamenei, the new supreme leader. Kharazi alleged Pezeshkian was frustrated by exclusion from decision-making and the supreme leader's perceived absence. However, Khamenei's office has officially refuted these claims as 'fundamentally false and untrue'.
Pezeshkian, in a television interview marking his second anniversary in office, accused some individuals of seeking to create rifts within Iran and stated, 'If I want to resign, I will officially announce that I have resigned. I will not resign, I will stand.' He also insisted on his complete harmony with the military and dismissed unsubstantiated claims regarding protest casualties. The interview appeared to be an effort to counter the impression of weakness or sidelining by hardline factions.
The controversy highlights deep strategic and tactical divisions within Iran regarding engagement with the US. Mehdi Tabatabaei, a senior member of the president's office, condemned the reports as 'complete nonsense and lies,' attributing them to a 'sinister coalition of lying, deceitful and reckless extremism' seeking revenge for electoral failures. Ahmad Zeidabadi, a reformist reporter, described the claims as inflammatory and exacerbating tensions.
Earlier, Pezeshkian had suggested a memorandum of understanding negotiated in June with the US could form a cornerstone of Iranian foreign relations. However, the conservative-dominated Assembly of Experts issued a statement deeming hopes for an agreement with the US 'futile' and labeling 'whispers of capitulation' as an 'unforgivable betrayal.'