Khamenei reportedly issues ‘final ultimatum' to President Pezeshkian, backs IRGC commander

AS tensions escalate over the regional conflict and ongoing tit-for-tat strikes with the United States, with negotiations to end the war still in their nascent stages, the Islamic Republic is now witnessing fresh political troubles after Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly issued a "final ultimatum" to President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Khamenei vs Pezeshkian: What we know

According to Israeli media reports, Khamenei extended support to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Ahmad Vahidi on crucial decisions regarding the negotiations and the conflict. According to Israeli broadcaster Channel 14, which cited sources familiar with the matter, Khamenei has weakened Pezeshkian's political standing by refusing to dissuade him from making another resignation attempt.

This comes after the Iranian president reportedly threatened to resign repeatedly during disagreements with the Islamic Republic's leadership and officially sought to resign in May because his administration was "entirely sidelined" from decisions on national security and foreign policy.

Earlier in June, Iran International cited a source and reported that Pezeshkian resigned from his position by submitting an official letter to the Supreme Leader, indicating that his administration had been effectively excluded from major crucial decisions.

Citing sources familiar with the development, the report noted that Pezeshkian cited that a vacuum had been created by the situation, which enabled hardline factions within the IRGC to take control of affairs. However, shortly after, Tasnim news agency cited a government source and dismissed the report, stating that Pezeshkian has "not resigned" and continues to do his duties.

Khamenei backs IRGC, hardens stance on US

Channel 14 also claimed that Khamenei, who has largely stayed away from public appearances ever since he became the Supreme Leader and has been issuing only written statements, is now fully aligned with Iran's military establishment, leaving Pezeshkian with limited room to influence key strategic decisions.

Citing sources, the Israeli broadcaster added that Tehran has now adopted a harder stance towards Washington, with IRGC Commander Vahidi's approach effectively becoming the regime's official policy. Further, differences between Iran's political leadership and the IRGC have largely been eliminated, with Khamenei allegedly granting the IRGC commander the final say on several major decisions related to the US.

Similar claims were also reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a policy research organisation focused on US national security. In a post on X, ISW cited senior cleric Mohammad Bagher Kharrazi, who has familial ties to Khamenei, and said, "Mojtaba formally warned Pezeshkian that he would accept Pezeshkian’s resignation if Pezeshkian tried to resign again. Mojtaba may have made this warning to prevent Pezeshkian from using the threat of his resignation to influence regime policies."

Trump unlikely to undertake major policy shift

Separately, Channel 14 reported that Iran's leadership believes US President Donald Trump is unlikely to introduce any major policy changes before the November midterm elections. As a result, the Islamic Republic is expected to maintain maximum pressure while attempting to strengthen its strategic and economic bargaining position.

US-Iran communication limited

The reported developments come as the US president announced a pause in strikes against Iran, saying diplomatic efforts would follow, including a proposed meeting scheduled for Monday. However, Tehran rejected claims that it was engaged in negotiations with US officials.

The report further said that contacts between the two sides are now largely limited to indirect communication between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US special envoys, particularly Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with Qatar and Pakistan continuing their mediation efforts.

Trump issued a "last chance" warning to Tehran to reach an agreement as it halted a planned military strike on the Islamic Republic after reportedly receiving requests from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar to pursue diplomacy instead.

The reported developments point to a deepening power shift within Iran as diplomatic uncertainty with the US continues. However, it remains to be seen whether Iranian officials will publicly address the reported internal rift.