Iranian President denies claims of resignation and rift with supreme leader

<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/iran/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/iran/">Iranian</a> President Masoud Pezeshkian has denied reports that he had been seeking to resign, saying the claims were aimed at “creating discord” among Tehran's political and military leadership. Mr Pezeshkian said his government was “fully co-ordinated” with <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/gulf/2026/08/03/trump-blasts-iran-for-duplicitous-stance-on-negotiations/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/gulf/2026/08/03/trump-blasts-iran-for-duplicitous-stance-on-negotiations/">Iran's</a> military forces, and dismissed rumours of a rift in <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/08/02/trump-halts-iran-attacks-and-says-new-talks-are-on-to-open-hormuz/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/08/02/trump-halts-iran-attacks-and-says-new-talks-are-on-to-open-hormuz/">Tehran</a>. “I will not resign and I will stand firm,” Mr Pezeshkian was quoted as saying by Iranian state media. “If I resign, I will formally announce that I have resigned.” His remarks come after reports alleged that he had threatened to resign 28 times. They also suggested that he had submitted a tentative resignation letter in May, in which he purportedly complained that his government had been “entirely sidelined” from national security and foreign policy by the military and hardline factions. Iranian officials denied the allegations at the time. The reports also quoted cleric Mohammad Bagher Kharrazi as saying Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/03/11/where-is-mojtaba-khamenei-iranian-officials-say-new-leader-is-lightly-injured/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/03/11/where-is-mojtaba-khamenei-iranian-officials-say-new-leader-is-lightly-injured/">Mojtaba Khamenei</a> had told Mr Pezeshkian that any future resignation would be accepted. Mehdi Tabatabai, spokesman for Mr Pezeshkian's office, dismissed the reports as “baseless” and “pure fabrication”, and insisted that the President's resignation had never been under consideration. He added that the reports were part of a broader effort to manipulate public perceptions of the government. While Iran has sought to project an image of unity throughout its conflict with the US, developments in Tehran have suggested otherwise. Structural divisions within Iran's policymaking establishment have deepened in recent weeks, with the military elite seen by analysts as gaining influence following the killing of former supreme leader <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/07/03/body-of-ali-khamenei-allegedly-moved-in-public-for-first-time-since-assassination/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/07/03/body-of-ali-khamenei-allegedly-moved-in-public-for-first-time-since-assassination/">Ali Khamenei</a>.<b> </b> Those rifts have been reflected in conflicting statements and positions within Iran on a range of issues, including strikes on Gulf states, negotiations with the US and the future of the Strait of Hormuz. Last month, during negotiations with the US, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said an agreement “has never been closer”. His remarks prompted <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/03/05/irans-mosaic-defence-with-khamenei-gone-local-commanders-take-fight-to-us-and-israel/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/03/05/irans-mosaic-defence-with-khamenei-gone-local-commanders-take-fight-to-us-and-israel/">public opposition</a> in Tehran. Videos on social media showed crowds chanting “Araghchi have some shame, let go of America”, underscoring anger among hardliners at any hint of concessions to Washington. It was not the first time Mr Araghchi had come under internal scrutiny. In April, he was criticised by Iran's Tasnim news agency after announcing in a post on X that the Strait of Hormuz was “<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2026/04/17/us-and-iran-announce-reopening-of-strait-of-hormuz/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2026/04/17/us-and-iran-announce-reopening-of-strait-of-hormuz/">completely open</a>”.<b> </b>His statement came after a 10-day ceasefire was announced between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, which had been a key sticking point in US-Iran talks. But an Iranian source quoted by Tasnim said transit through the strait would be considered “void” if the US naval blockade continued. The source set out three conditions for vessels seeking passage. Tasnim said Mr Araghchi's post created ambiguity. The divisions were also evident at the onset of the conflict. In March, President Pezeshkian pledged to halt <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/03/18/irans-mixed-messages-highlight-irgcs-grip-on-war-decisions/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/03/18/irans-mixed-messages-highlight-irgcs-grip-on-war-decisions/">attacks on neighbouring countries</a> unless an attack on Iran originated from their territory. Yet drone and missile strikes targeting Gulf states continued for weeks, prompting Mr Pezeshkian to backtrack on his apology.