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Two of the Iranian regime’s most senior clerics have recently voiced deep concerns about the fragile state of the Iranian regime and the potential for its sudden collapse. Their remarks underscore growing internal anxieties within the ruling establishment as public dissent intensifies and international pressures mount.
Alamolhoda: “If Faith in Leadership Breaks, the Regime Will Collapse Within an Hour”
Ahmad Alamolhoda, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s representative in Mashhad and a key regime figure, warned that the very survival of the Iranian regime hinges on the people’s continued belief in the leadership: “Throughout the victory and more than 40-year continuation of our holy Islamic Revolution, it has withstood conspiracies and seditions. The key factor is the people’s faith in the leadership,” Alamolhoda said in a June 6, 2025, speech. “If the knot between the people’s faith and the leadership’s faith is untied, the Revolution will collapse within an hour.”
He further accused the regime’s enemies of trying to sever this connection by undermining public belief in the leadership, calling it a “wicked and criminal” strategy designed to bring down the system from within.
#Iranian Officials Warn of “Libya Scenario” Amid Deepening Fear of Uprising and Escalating Crackdownshttps://t.co/vLWWYwIlap
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) June 1, 2025
Ahmad Khatami: “Velayat-e Faqih Is the Pillar of Our System”
Echoing these concerns, senior regime cleric Ahmad Khatami emphasized that the doctrine of Velayat-e Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist) is the cornerstone of the regime’s endurance. Without it, he suggested, the Iranian regime would not survive.
“The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt lasted just a year in power. We have had Velayat-e Faqih for 47 years, and it has been the secret to our longevity,” Khatami declared. “The late Imam [Khomeini] said this system must be supported to protect the country.”
Khatami cited past uprisings—including the 2009 protests and the 2021 nationwide protests—as efforts to overthrow the regime and undermine Velayat-e Faqih. He claimed that the state’s survival was ensured only through the leadership’s firm stance and the suppression of dissent.
#Iran’s Officials Urge Tight Control of Minds and Morals to Quell Public Dissenthttps://t.co/rYJYo5rp4r
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 4, 2025
“In 2009, the sedition was clearly against Velayat-e Faqih. In 2021, it wasn’t even called sedition—it was riots and blatant attempts at rapid overthrow,” he said, accusing foreign powers, particularly the United States, of funding the protests. “America spent the equivalent of our country’s annual budget on those riots.”
He also emphasized that the opposition group People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) orchestrated the unrest, labeling them “murderous hypocrites” and “anti-people elements.”
#Iranian Officials Warn Europe and U.S. Against Pressure as Domestic Unrest Mountshttps://t.co/XIX5cbQ1ch
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 23, 2025
“Uranium Enrichment Is Our Red Line”
Turning to foreign policy, Khatami warned that the regime will not compromise on its nuclear ambitions, calling uranium enrichment a “red line” that cannot be crossed in ongoing negotiations.
“Our officials have clearly stated that if enrichment is not accepted, there will be no talks,” Khatami said. He reiterated Khamenei’s recent statements, asserting that no foreign power—especially the United States—has the right to dictate how much uranium Iran can enrich.
“Even Trump’s own people admitted he would not tolerate even one percent enrichment. Well, Trump is wrong,” Khatami concluded.