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Iran’s clerical dictatorship is confronting one of its gravest political challenges in recent years as internal divisions intensify alongside the reinstatement of sweeping United Nations sanctions under the “snapback” mechanism. The simultaneous pressures of economic collapse, diplomatic isolation, and factional infighting have created a volatile environment inside the regime, further eroding morale even among its loyal base.
Pezeshkian Under Fire After Televised Interview
The latest tensions were inflamed after the regime’s president Masoud Pezeshkian’s nationally broadcast interview, which was intended to project unity and reassure both the regime’s supporters and deceive the wider public. Despite Pezeshkian’s explicit pledges of loyalty to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, state-controlled media outlets close to extremist factions openly attacked him.
On August 31, Kayhan, a newspaper viewed as Khamenei’s mouthpiece, accused Pezeshkian of failing to address the nation’s growing crises, describing his remarks as “a campaign-style performance” rather than an honest assessment of government policies. Kayhan’s editor-in-chief, Hossein Shariatmadari, went further, stating that “honesty and justice require action — including missile and drone power,” and criticized Pezeshkian’s administration for showing “too few signs of delivering solutions to people’s economic hardships.”
Senior #Iranian Regime Insider Faces Prosecution After Comments Seen as Undermining Morale Amid Escalating Criseshttps://t.co/jVfljdqUSN
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) August 29, 2025
Low Morale Among the Regime’s Loyal Base
The growing dissatisfaction is not limited to elite infighting. Analysts note that repeated policy failures, compounded by years of sanctions, protests, and a lack of transparency, have contributed to a steady decline in morale even among the regime’s most loyal supporters, including parts of the Revolutionary Guard and the Basij militia. While hardliners demand greater displays of defiance against the West, there are increasing signs that confidence in the leadership’s ability to manage the crisis is weakening, particularly among those who once served as its strongest defenders.
Snapback Sanctions Reimposed
The unrest within the ruling establishment has been sharpened by the formal activation of the snapback mechanism under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231. According to a report by the state-run newspaper Ettelaat on August 30, the restored sanctions bring back seven previous resolutions originally imposed between 2006 and 2010, effectively rolling back any relief granted by the 2015 nuclear deal.
Etemad, another government-aligned daily, emphasized that the mechanism operates automatically: thirty days after activation, the sanctions resume without requiring a Security Council vote, removing Tehran’s ability to block implementation through Russian or Chinese vetoes.
#Tehran in Damage-Control Mode After Snapback Sanctions Triggered, Economic Fears Soarhttps://t.co/tet1fJqorJ
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) August 30, 2025
Calls to Exit the Nuclear Treaty
Within the regime’s parliament, the response has been confrontational. Several lawmakers have openly called for Iran to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Alireza Salimi, a member of parliament, stated on August 30 that “exiting the NPT is one of our potential countermeasures against Europe.” Ebrahim Azizi, head of the parliamentary commission on national security and foreign policy, confirmed that a “triple-urgency plan” to leave the treaty is under review with the Guardian Council and stressed that “all pillars of the system must decide on this issue.”
Former foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki echoed these calls, urging “swift government action” to counter what he described as “European aggression.” Ahmad Ardastani, a member of the same commission, warned that Tehran faces two possible paths: confrontation, such as closing the Strait of Hormuz and withdrawing from the NPT, or pursuing negotiations to “sell concessions” to Europe. Hardline cleric Hamid Rasaee has demanded the expulsion of European ambassadors, a measure expected to be raised in parliament next week.
#Iran’s Leadership Faces Growing Fears of Unrest Amid Snapback Sanctions and Internal Divisionshttps://t.co/vHMBfE7JON
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) August 30, 2025
Kayhan Targets Rouhani and Zarif
These escalating disputes have also reignited old rivalries over the 2015 nuclear agreement. In an August 29 editorial, Kayhan launched a renewed offensive against former president Hassan Rouhani and former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, accusing them of committing “a strategic mistake” by agreeing to the snapback clause. The newspaper blamed their negotiating team for giving Western powers “a permanent weapon against Iran” and portrayed the mechanism as a deliberate trap designed to weaken the regime.
However, critics argue that Khamenei himself approved the deal and ordered its rapid ratification in parliament, undermining Kayhan’s attempt to shift responsibility solely onto Rouhani’s faction.
#Iran Clerics Downplay Snapback Sanctions as Regime Grapples with Crisishttps://t.co/9lbmL89Wce
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) August 31, 2025
Mounting Pressure and Growing Instability
The stakes for the clerical leadership are high. The restored sanctions reinstate a comprehensive arms embargo, strict limitations on nuclear-related technology, banking restrictions, cargo inspections, and renewed asset freezes targeting key officials and institutions. As economic pressure mounts and protests continue to simmer beneath the surface, the political establishment faces simultaneous challenges from external isolation and internal fragmentation.