Political troubles in Iran as Khamenei issues "final ultimatum" to Pezeshkian, backs IRGC commander: Reports
Tehran, August 4
Amid heightened tensions over the regional conflict and ongoing diplomatic engagements with the US on West Asia, Iran is witnessing fresh political troubles after Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly issued a "final ultimatum" to its President Masoud Pezeshkian and threw his support behind Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Ahmad Vahidi on key decisions concerning the negotiations and conflict, according to Israeli media reports.
Israeli broadcaster Channel 14, citing sources familiar with developments in Tehran, reported that Khamenei has effectively stripped President Pezeshkian of his primary political leverage by refusing to discourage another resignation attempt.
According to the report, Pezeshkian had allegedly used the threat of resignation repeatedly during policy disagreements with Iran's leadership and formally sought to resign in May, claiming that his administration had been "entirely sidelined" from national security and foreign policy decisions.
Channel 14 claimed that Khamenei's latest position signals full alignment with Iran's military establishment, leaving the president with limited room to influence strategic policymaking.
Channel 14, citing unnamed sources, further reported that Tehran has adopted a harder line towards the US, with IRGC Commander Ahmad Vahidi's approach now effectively becoming the regime's official policy.
According to the report, differences between Iran's political leadership and the IRGC have largely diminished, with the Supreme Leader allegedly granting Vahidi the final say on major decisions related to the United States.
The report further claimed that Iranian leaders believe US President Donald Trump is unlikely to undertake any major policy shift before November, when the mid-term election takes place, prompting Tehran to maintain maximum pressure while seeking to maximise its strategic and economic leverage.
Citing the same sources, Channel 14 reported that communication between Tehran and Washington remains limited to indirect exchanges between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US special envoys, particularly Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, along with mediation efforts involving Qatar and Pakistan.
The report added that no formal negotiations are currently underway.
The report comes amid Trump warning Iran of a "last chance" to reach an agreement as Washington paused a planned military strike on the Islamic Republic after receiving requests from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar to pursue diplomacy instead.
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump asserted that the United States was prepared to launch a major military operation against Iran before diplomatic outreach prompted a pause.
"This is a last chance. This is not something that if it doesn't happen, this is a last chance for them to sign a good document," Trump said while discussing ongoing talks with Tehran.
Claiming that negotiations were underway at Iran's request, Trump said, "We are talking right now, we're talking, and we're talking at the request of Iran, backed by Saudi Arabia, backed by the UAE, and backed by Qatar in particular, but others also. Many countries called... they all wanted to give this a last chance."
The US President alleged that Iran had previously denied engaging in discussions despite holding extensive meetings with American officials.
"It's an amazing thing... we have many talks... they'll sometimes deny it, even though they've spent hours and hours together talking. But the talks are going along," he said.
He further claimed that the US had been ready to carry out a large-scale strike against Iran before the diplomatic intervention.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The whole world is watching this mess unfold. Trump saying "last chance" while also saying they paused a strike because of Saudi and Qatar requests... Honestly, diplomacy is better than another war in West Asia. We've seen enough of that. Oil prices affect us all, so let's hope this gets resolved peacefully.
Khamenei giving full power to the IRGC commander basically means Pezeshkian is a puppet president now. 😅 But honestly, India should be very careful here. Any major instability in Iran affects our energy security and the ~7 million Indians working in the Gulf region. Also, Chabahar port is crucial for Afghanistan trade. This isn't just their problem, it's ours too.
A "final ultimatum" from the Supreme Leader to the President? That's not a functioning democracy, that's a theocracy with extra steps. The IRGC calling the shots while the president is sidelined confirms what everyone already knew — Iran's foreign policy is made by the military, not the diplomats. Trump should know better than to think any "deal" with them will hold long-term.
Interesting timing — Trump issues a "last chance" warning while also saying he paused a strike because of Gulf countries' requests. Classic Trump diplomacy, trying to look tough while actually seeking a deal. Meanwhile, Iran is playing its own game, sidelining the president and giving the military the final word. India must maintain a balanced approach here. We have billion-dollar interests in both Gulf and Iran. Neither extreme — war nor collapse — works for us. 🕊️
Honestly, this is completely predictable from
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