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Four-minute read<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The recent developments in Iran’s political landscape highlight the deep-rooted instability and factional infighting within the regime, underscoring the absence of any realistic hope for internal reform. The introduction of Masoud Pezeshkian<\/a>‘s cabinet has triggered fierce competition among rival factions for influence and power, revealing the regime’s fractured nature.<\/p>\n Despite attempts by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s affiliates to assert control, tensions have boiled over. The infighting was evident in the way Pezeshkian’s proposed cabinet was received, with critics from various factions describing it as merely a continuation of Ebrahim Raisi’s administration. This sentiment was captured by Pezeshkian himself, who described the appointees as “experienced” and akin to “the Basijis who managed the war.”<\/p>\n On August 14, Pezeshkian wrote on his website<\/a>, “The proposed cabinet list was prepared and presented to strengthen the synergy between the government and the parliament. The criteria for evaluating performance in this government are commitment and effort to properly and maximally implement the vision goals. We are confident that if we move forward with the same spirit that the Basijis managed the war, using the most up-to-date solutions and advanced tools, we can overcome all problems, including sanctions and restrictions.”<\/p>\n The political discord reached a boiling point when the hardline newspaper Farhikhtegan<\/em><\/a>, aligned with Khamenei\u2019s senior advisor Ali Akbar Velayati, attacked former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, labeling his resignation as an “internal government coup.” The paper questioned how a president, whose strategic council head flipped the table in the first 40 days, could defend his proposed cabinet. It accused Zarif of weakening the government’s bargaining power against foreign enemies during his tenure and suggested that Pezeshkian might struggle to defend the regime under similar conditions. Farhikhtegan<\/em> lamented, “If only this internal government coup had not occurred due to disagreements over cabinet formation, and Zarif had understood his political position.”<\/p>\n Unformed Pezeshkian Cabinet Under Siege from Competing Regime Factions in #Iran<\/a>https:\/\/t.co\/fYvXKbmvAn<\/a><\/p>\n — NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) August 15, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n