Internal Iranian Power Struggle Erupts Over Nuclear Stance and US Diplomacy Deadlock

President Pezeshkian and Speaker Ghalibaf reportedly seek to fire FM Araghchi over his alignment with IRGC hardliners during US peace talks.

By: AXL Media

Published: May 1, 2026, 3:08 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Times of Israel

A Cabinet Divided by Revolutionary Directives

The Iranian leadership is facing a severe internal crisis as President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf reportedly consider the dismissal of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. According to reports from Iran International, the friction stems from Araghchi’s alleged shift in loyalty toward the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at the expense of the civilian government’s diplomatic agenda. Sources indicate that Pezeshkian has grown increasingly frustrated with Araghchi, viewing him less as a representative of the cabinet and more as a subordinate to IRGC Commander Ahmad Vahidi. This perceived insubordination has placed the president in a political deadlock, struggling to maintain executive authority over Iran's most sensitive international portfolios.

The Nuclear Question Stalls Peace Efforts

At the heart of the dispute is a fundamental disagreement over the scope of ongoing negotiations with Washington to end the current conflict. While pragmatic elements within the government, including Ghalibaf, have reportedly explored including the nuclear program in the talks to secure sanction relief, the IRGC and its allies have drawn a strict red line. The Supreme Leader’s inner circle recently intervened to rule out nuclear concessions, a move that Araghchi reportedly supported over the objections of his government colleagues. This internal stalemate contributed to the collapse of recent talks in Islamabad, where the U.S. delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance, demanded a "zero enrichment" commitment that Tehran's hardliners refused to entertain.

Strategic Sidelining of the Presidency

The power struggle highlights a broader trend of the IRGC asserting direct control over state functions during wartime conditions. President Pezeshkian has reportedly told associates that the military establishment has effectively stripped him of the power to appoint key officials or direct the national response to the war’s economic fallout. Commander Ahmad Vahidi has allegedly argued that the current state of conflict justifies the Revolutionary Guards taking total command of managerial positions. Araghchi’s decision to coordinate closely with Vahidi without informing the presidency is seen by Pezeshkian as a betrayal of the government’s mandate to stabilize the national economy through dip...