Three-minute read
In the final days of October 2025, the clerical regime’s internal rifts broke into full public view inside the parliament (Majlis), where lawmakers from competing factions openly accused one another—and the government—of corruption, mismanagement, and disloyalty. The same officials who routinely invoke “unity” and “discipline” now used the parliamentary podium to trade blame.
The exchanges did not reflect concern for the public’s worsening economic hardship; rather, they revealed a political class attempting to distance itself from responsibility, preserve personal standing, and avoid being associated with a system widely seen as faltering. In the process, officials intensified their rhetoric, openly accusing one another of betrayal, exposing serious cracks in a rotten system.
Mounting Attacks on Pezeshkian
Several lawmakers targeted the regime’s president Masoud Pezeshkian, criticizing what they described as indecision and failure to address high inflation and shortages. Reza Bagheri-Banaee told the chamber on October 29: “Time for speeches is over. The people are exhausted from empty promises and slogans.” He demanded immediate plans to restore Lake Urmia and warned that current Central Bank currency policy is “destroying production and exports.”
MP Hadi Mohammadpour cited steep price increases across essential goods during the past year—65% for basic foods, 124% for gold coins, 144% for gold by the gram, and more than 90% for some vehicle models—concluding, “People are anxious, and no one is taking responsibility.”
Economic data cited in parliament remains difficult to independently verify, as official statistics in Iran are widely recognized as politicized and inconsistent. But the pattern of price shocks lawmakers listed is consistent with broader inflationary trends reported in independent field surveys across the country.
From FATF to Bank Meltdown, #Iran’s Power Factions Clash on Every Fronthttps://t.co/FgEBKUNGBg
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) October 27, 2025
Public Accusations of Corruption and Patronage
Other lawmakers shifted the confrontation to allegations of systemic corruption. Alireza Nesari accused government ministries of breaking commitments on local development projects and warned that delays were widening the gap between state and society.
Meanwhile, Mehrdad Lahouti charged that senior government economic policymaking had been diverted to unelected councils—the Supreme Economic Council, the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, and others—leaving parliament sidelined. He added that subsidy removal policies were being imposed on low-income households while, in his words, “officials spend all day telling the public one thing and doing the opposite.”
The most pointed charges came from Hadi Mohammadpour who argued that political actors who “bankrupted the country” are now positioning themselves as critics. He demanded judicial intervention to silence those he called “regretful of the revolution,” signaling an escalation toward repression rather than reconciliation.
#Iran’s Ruling Elite Consumed by Infighting Amid Economic Ruin and Public Ragehttps://t.co/0Wk9C2RtFP
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) October 22, 2025
Conflict Over Dual Citizenship and Political Appointments
Kamran Ghazanfari used the floor to insist that appointments involving dual-national relatives of senior officials—including the children of former vice president Mohammad-Reza Aref and current deputy cabinet chief Mohammad-Jafar Qaempanah—be annulled. Ghazanfari framed the issue as national security, declaring such appointments “illegal in sensitive posts.”
The speech signaled how questions of loyalty and internal trust have moved from the security apparatus into civilian administration—an indicator of deepening suspicion within elite networks.
The harshest intervention came from Morteza Mahmoudi who called on the judiciary to prevent former officials, including Hassan Rouhani and Mohammad-Javad Zarif, from publicly criticizing state policy. “Do not allow those who are ashamed of the revolution to now raise their voices against it,” he said.
#Khamenei’s Grip on Power Slips Amid Intensifying Factional Warfarehttps://t.co/98hGe6rQfg
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) September 2, 2025
Media Restrictions and Elite Messaging Discipline
At the same time, the regime’s approach to media strain intensified. The newspaper Ham-Mihan, affiliated with former Tehran mayor Gholamhossein Karbaschi, was abruptly blocked from operating on social platforms, reportedly on security agency instruction. No official justification was provided.
Parallel to this, the daily Kayhan, directed by Hossein Shariatmadari, accused former president Rouhani of “padyoo’i-e Amrika” (serving American interests) and warned that criticism of Iran’s rapprochement with Russia and China would be treated as hostile activity.
The messaging suggests that the leadership no longer treats internal disagreement over foreign and economic strategy as policy debate but as a direct security threat. This shift signals that the internal conflict has reached a stage where even the highest and once-unquestioned authority can be challenged or bypassed.
Khamenei’s Weak Position Exposed as #Iran's Rival Factions Escalate Infightinghttps://t.co/Z7U9xguQdl
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) September 4, 2025
A System Consuming Itself
The clashes in parliament reflect a crisis turned inward. These are not genuine disputes over public welfare or even structured power sharing—they are survival fights among factions trying to avoid going down with a sinking system. Each side is now accusing the others of betrayal and sabotage, not to solve the country’s problems, but to appear less responsible for them.
As inflation erodes living standards and skilled citizens continue to leave, the regime’s ruling circles have shifted from governing to self-preservation. The rhetoric of “unity” rings hollow: the authority that once enforced discipline is weakened, and every faction is positioning itself for a perfect storm.
In this climate, the struggle is existential—not over how to rule, but over who will not be blamed when the structure finally gives way.