Iran’s unseen supreme leader becomes weapon in escalating power struggle, experts say
Iran’s rival political factions are increasingly invoking the authority of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to attack their opponents and protect their own positions, even as questions persist over whether he is actively governing the country, according to an Iran expert.The internal struggle surfaced in two reports published by Iran International concerning Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s relationship with the new supreme leader.In the first report, senior cleric Mohammad-Bagher Kharrazi, a relative of the Khamenei family by marriage, claimed Pezeshkian had repeatedly threatened to resign and was warned that his next resignation would be accepted.IRAN EXPERT BRANDS ISLAMIC CENTER OF ENGLAND IRAN'S 'UK OFFICE,' URGES IMMEDIATE CLOSURE"If he resigns one more time, I will approve it," Kharrazi quoted Khamenei as saying.Pezeshkian’s office strongly deniedthe account. Mehdi Tabatabaei, the president’s deputy for communications and information, called the allegation "baseless and an outright lie," while another presidential advisor said Kharrazi had no contact with the supreme leader and was known for telling "strange stories."Hours later, Iran International published a second report alleging Pezeshkian had met Mojtaba Khamenei only once, inside a vehicle with tinted windows at an undisclosed location in Tehran.According to the outlet’s unnamed sources, the encounter lasted several minutes, the two men could not see each other and Pezeshkian was not permitted to shake Khamenei’s hand.
Reported by 1 outlet — Fox News Latest. See all sources ↓
Iran’s rival political factions are increasingly invoking the authority of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to attack their opponents and protect their own positions, even as questions persist over whether he is actively governing the country, according to an Iran expert.The internal struggle surfaced in two reports published by Iran International concerning Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s relationship with the new supreme leader.In the first report, senior cleric Mohammad-Bagher Kharrazi, a relative of the Khamenei family by marriage, claimed Pezeshkian had repeatedly threatened to resign and was warned that his next resignation would be accepted.IRAN EXPERT BRANDS ISLAMIC CENTER OF ENGLAND IRAN'S 'UK OFFICE,' URGES IMMEDIATE CLOSURE"If he resigns one more time, I will approve it," Kharrazi quoted Khamenei as saying.Pezeshkian’s office strongly deniedthe account. Mehdi Tabatabaei, the president’s deputy for communications and information, called the allegation "baseless and an outright lie," while another presidential advisor said Kharrazi had no contact with the supreme leader and was known for telling "strange stories."Hours later, Iran International published a second report alleging Pezeshkian had met Mojtaba Khamenei only once, inside a vehicle with tinted windows at an undisclosed location in Tehran.According to the outlet’s unnamed sources, the encounter lasted several minutes, the two men could not see each other and Pezeshkian was not permitted to shake Khamenei’s hand. The report alleged that the president later questioned whether the voice he heard had actually belonged to the supreme leader.IRAN’S GOOD COP, BAD COP GAME IMPLODES AS EXPERTS WARN REGIME VIEWS US AS 'EVIL'The claims have not been independently verified. Pezeshkian previously described a substantially different encounter, saying publicly that he had spent approximately two and a half hours with Khamenei in a cordial atmosphere.Kasra Aarabi, director of IRGC research at United Against Nuclear Iran, said the competing claims surrounding Pezeshkian and Mojtaba Khamenei reflected a deeper struggle inside what he described as an "Islamist oligarchic mafia system."Under Ali Khamenei, Aarabi said, the supreme leader functioned as the system’s "godfather," arbitrating among rival Islamist factions and guaranteeing their access to power and money.
Read the full report at Fox News Latest ↗
Why it matters
A world story we're tracking; its significance and source trust firm up as more outlets confirm it.
- What's the story?
- Iran’s rival political factions are increasingly invoking the authority of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to attack their opponents and protect their own positions, even as questions persist over whether he is actively governing the country, according to an Iran expert.The internal struggle surfaced in two reports published by Iran International concerning Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s relationship with the new supreme leader.In the first report, senior cleric Mohammad-Bagher Kharrazi, a relative of the Khamenei family by marriage, claimed Pezeshkian had repeatedly threatened to resign and was warned that his next resignation would be accepted.IRAN EXPERT BRANDS ISLAMIC CENTER OF ENGLAND IRAN'S 'UK OFFICE,' URGES IMMEDIATE CLOSURE"If he resigns one more time, I will approve it," Kharrazi quoted Khamenei as saying.Pezeshkian’s office strongly deniedthe account. Mehdi Tabatabaei, the president’s deputy for communications and information, called the allegation "baseless and an outright lie," while another presidential advisor said Kharrazi had no contact with the supreme leader and was known for telling "strange stories."Hours later, Iran International published a second report alleging Pezeshkian had met Mojtaba Khamenei only once, inside a vehicle with tinted windows at an undisclosed location in Tehran.According to the outlet’s unnamed sources, the encounter lasted several minutes, the two men could not see each other and Pezeshkian was not permitted to shake Khamenei’s hand.
- How widely is it covered?
- 1 outlet, average source rating 6.0/10.
- When was it last updated?
- 12m ago.
How outlets are framing the same story
Here's how each outlet is covering the story — compare their headlines and timing at a glance.
- Coverage card1 outlet1CoverageScouting report
Iran’s unseen supreme leader becomes weapon in escalating power struggle, experts say
Sources1TypeCoverageFox News Latest