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A bitter feud has erupted within Iran’s ruling elite, exposing deep divisions between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the hardline Steadfastness Front (Jebhe Paydari, or JST) faction. The clash, fueled by the fallout from a 12-day war and a controversial interview by the regime’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, has laid bare a regime grappling with internal discord while claiming a façade of unity.
The IRGC’s mouthpiece, Javan newspaper, unleashed a scathing attack on JST loyalists and their allies, accusing them of undermining the regime’s stability at a critical juncture. In an article titled “Political Rumormongers Worse Than Foreign Mercenaries,” Javan condemned those who criticized Pezeshkian’s recent interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson, likening their actions to betrayal. The newspaper’s sharp rhetoric reveals a growing schism within Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s own camp, contradicting the regime’s narrative of a “vast social capital” forged through recent conflicts.
A War’s Aftermath and a Fractured Elite
The Javan article singles out two figures from the regime’s dominant faction for their “thuggish” behavior. Hamid Rasaee, a Tehran MP, reposted a tweet from an Azerbaijani political activist on his Telegram channel, using it to mock and insult Pezeshkian in what Javan called a “shameful and disgraceful” comparison. Similarly, Reza Asheri, a Rasht city council member, sparked outrage by posting an inflammatory social media story. In it, he called for Israel to assassinate Pezeshkian and implied that the helicopter crash that killed former President Ebrahim Raisi was an Israeli plot. Asheri went further, issuing an ultimatum to Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, threatening to “act independently” to shut down a reformist media outlet if the judiciary failed to do so.
Infighting and Frailty Cripple #Tehran’s Leadership Amid Multiple Criseshttps://t.co/sfutmpKIJW
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) July 10, 2025
Javan lambasted these actions, questioning, “Who has given these nobodies the audacity to mock and insult the president at such a sensitive time? What petty gain do they hope to reap from this vile rhetoric?” The newspaper accused such figures of exploiting the war’s end to “tear down political rivals,” sowing division for personal gain.
A Hollow Claim of Unity
While Khamenei and state media trumpet victory and national unity, Javan’s own words betray the regime’s fragility. The newspaper claims the war bestowed Iran with “vast social capital,” a supposed reservoir of public support. Yet, it warns that this “national asset” is now threatened by “hostile winds and whispers that delight the enemy.” The irony is stark: how can such a “capital” exist when the regime’s own operatives are at each other’s throats?
Javan further criticized two camps within the regime. One, it claims, has “fallen off the roof” into surrenderism, urging capitulation to the United States. The other, exemplified by Rasaee and Asheri, is accused of “sharpening the enemy’s scissors” through reckless rhetoric that aids Iran’s adversaries. The newspaper’s mixed metaphors—celebrating unity in one breath while decrying division in the next—highlight the regime’s struggle to maintain a coherent narrative.
Internal Strife and Conflicting Signals Paralyze #Tehran’s Nuclear Policyhttps://t.co/K2GbNTCacU
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 19, 2025
A Regime on the Brink?
The public airing of this internal conflict comes at a time of heightened tension. The article’s reference to “hyenas smelling death” captures the sense of a regime teetering on the edge, with opportunists sensing weakness. This perception was amplified by recent events in Hamedan, where the killing of two youths sparked protests and the resounding chant, “Our enemy is right here, they lie when they say it’s America.” Such slogans underscore a growing public disillusionment with the regime’s attempts to deflect blame onto foreign powers.
Javan’s parting shot draws a line between constructive criticism and destructive mockery, urging figures like Rasaee and Asheri to stop “striking discordant notes.” It questions whose interests they serve, warning against venting “political grudges” on the public. Yet, the newspaper’s own vitriol against its allies reveals a deeper truth: the regime’s unity is a mirage.
The public spat between the IRGC and JST loyalists is more than a war of words—it signals a profound fracture at the heart of Iran’s power structure. When even Khamenei’s own faction is mired in such open conflict, talk of “vast social capital” rings hollow, serving as little more than a smokescreen for a regime in disarray. As Javan itself acknowledges, calling its rivals “political rumormongers worse than foreign mercenaries,” the hyenas are circling—and they smell blood.