{"id":338691,"date":"2025-10-29T20:29:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T19:29:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=338691"},"modified":"2025-10-29T22:29:36","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T21:29:36","slug":"iran-power-struggle-widens-as-irgc-leadership-change-fuels-questions-amid-growing-political-infighting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/iranian-regime-infighting\/iran-power-struggle-widens-as-irgc-leadership-change-fuels-questions-amid-growing-political-infighting\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran Power Struggle Widens as IRGC Leadership Change Fuels Questions Amid Growing Political Infighting"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none [--shadow-height:45px] has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none has-data-writing-block:-mt-(--shadow-height) has-data-writing-block:pt-(--shadow-height) [&amp;:has([data-writing-block])&gt;*]:pointer-events-auto [content-visibility:auto] supports-[content-visibility:auto]:[contain-intrinsic-size:auto_100lvh] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]\" dir=\"auto\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-turn-id=\"e87226e1-975c-40fc-b336-65e47fce805d\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-26\" data-scroll-anchor=\"true\" data-turn=\"assistant\">\n<div class=\"text-base my-auto mx-auto pb-10 [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] thread-sm:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] thread-lg:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)\">\n<div class=\"[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] thread-lg:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group\/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col grow\">\n<div class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-1\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"5aedd613-af22-492c-a0da-1b2584a07fee\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]\">\n<div class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full break-words light markdown-new-styling\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_338707\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-338707\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-338707\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Mohammad-Reza-Naqdi-1.jpg\" alt=\"Mohammad-Reza Naqdi\" width=\"1000\" height=\"565\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Mohammad-Reza-Naqdi-1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Mohammad-Reza-Naqdi-1-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Mohammad-Reza-Naqdi-1-768x434.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Mohammad-Reza-Naqdi-1-743x420.jpg 743w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Mohammad-Reza-Naqdi-1-150x85.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Mohammad-Reza-Naqdi-1-696x393.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-338707\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former Deputy Coordinator of the IRGC Mohammad-Reza Naqdi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"125\"><em><strong>Three-minute read<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"127\" data-end=\"625\">The clerical regime in Iran is facing another visible rupture at the top. The quiet removal of Mohammad-Reza Naqdi as Deputy Coordinator of the IRGC has generated speculation across state-controlled media about why one of the most loyal and long-serving security officials was dismissed. The shift comes as senior political figures exchange increasingly direct accusations, and state media openly warns of deepening fractures inside the ruling establishment.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"127\" data-end=\"625\">A reporting by the state-run <a href=\"https:\/\/fararu.com\/fa\/news\/917967\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fararu on October 28 revealed<\/a> that the change in IRGC leadership had actually taken place at least a month earlier but was neither announced nor accompanied by the customary public ceremony. The IRGC\u2019s official website had already begun referring to Hojjatollah Qureyshi as deputy coordinator as early as September, yet state media continued to introduce Naqdi by his former title as late as October 20. The delayed acknowledgment, conflicting internal references, and absence of a formal handover underscore that the transition was not conducted under normal conditions. The outlet noted that following the death of former IRGC commander Hossein Salami and the appointment of Mohammad Pakpour as his successor, multiple command reorganizations were expected \u2014 but the opaque handling of Naqdi\u2019s removal suggests internal sensitivities rather than routine reshuffling.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Khamenei\u2019s Weak Position Exposed as <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Iran<\/a>&#39;s Rival Factions Escalate Infighting<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Z7U9xguQdl\">https:\/\/t.co\/Z7U9xguQdl<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/iran_policy\/status\/1963709249759895896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 4, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"627\" data-end=\"662\">Silent Removal Raises Questions<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"988\" data-end=\"1406\">The move came only days after Ali <a href=\"https:\/\/fararu.com\/fa\/news\/917603\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Larijani issued a handwritten<\/a> directive to heads of major media organizations. Dated in late October, the letter emphasized the \u201ccritical conditions\u201d facing the system and instructed editors to participate in what he called \u201cstrengthening the armed forces.\u201d In regime context, insiders read the message as a warning about suspected infiltration and internal vulnerability within the IRGC.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"1408\" data-end=\"1892\">The timing of the letter and Naqdi\u2019s removal has led to speculation within regime outlets that the change is directly tied to concerns about internal security failures during the recent 12-day regional conflict \u2014 a period in which multiple senior IRGC operational figures were removed or sidelined. The clerical regime has not acknowledged any \u201cinfiltration\u201d problem, but repeated personnel changes at high command levels have made the issue impossible to ignore inside its own ranks.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">From Parliament to the Marketplace, Crisis Layers Converge Across <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Iran<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/AozMSSDCQJ\">https:\/\/t.co\/AozMSSDCQJ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/iran_policy\/status\/1983250664840146996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 28, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"1894\" data-end=\"1935\">Factional Attacks Intensify in Public<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"1937\" data-end=\"2466\">The leadership change coincides with open infighting among senior regime figures over the legacy of the nuclear deal, recent regional diplomacy, and the direction of foreign policy. On October 26, Saeed Jalili, the regime\u2019s former nuclear negotiator and a close representative of Ali Khamenei, <a href=\"https:\/\/snn.ir\/fa\/news\/1323132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">used a public speech<\/a> to denounce renewed attempts to re-engage with the West. He described those advocating diplomatic openings as akin to \u201csomeone on the night of February 11\u2014the day the 1979 revolution declared victory\u2014 deciding to join SAVAK,\u201d a direct accusation of disloyalty.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"2468\" data-end=\"2732\">Meanwhile, Parliament Speaker <a href=\"https:\/\/www.entekhab.ir\/fa\/news\/892066\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf warned<\/a> that political actors who \u201csacrifice national interest for factional gain\u201d would be confronted. The implied targets were both the revisionist-leaning bloc and former officials of previous administrations.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"2734\" data-end=\"3052\">The attacks have been reciprocal. Azar Mansouri, head of the so-called reformist front, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asriran.com\/fa\/news\/1108187\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">responded by writing<\/a> that \u201cLiyakhov was not just a name in history,\u201d invoking the Tsarist general who shelled the Iranian parliament in 1908 \u2014 a pointed comparison aimed at extremist factions seeking to silence dissent even within loyalist circles.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">From FATF to Bank Meltdown, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Iran<\/a>\u2019s Power Factions Clash on Every Front<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/FgEBKUNGBg\">https:\/\/t.co\/FgEBKUNGBg<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/iran_policy\/status\/1982904214557995094?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 27, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"3054\" data-end=\"3099\">Pezeshkian Acknowledges Internal Breakdown<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"3101\" data-end=\"3291\">The regime&#8217;s president Masoud Pezeshkian, in speeches on October 27, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.entekhab.ir\/fa\/news\/892063\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">repeatedly returned<\/a> to the theme of disunity. He stated that without internal alignment, \u201cthe country cannot move forward,\u201d adding: \u201cIf disharmony exists, you speak one way and I speak another, and the country does not advance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"3393\" data-end=\"3608\">Pezeshkian also noted that 85 percent of state resources are consumed by administrative overhead \u2014 a rare acknowledgment from a sitting president that the government\u2019s own structure is obstructing economic function.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"3610\" data-end=\"3796\">In response, critics inside parliament accused the government of lacking any operational plan to address inflation, food prices, or market instability. One member declared on October 26: \u201cWhat is your program? We see no program.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"3844\" data-end=\"3959\">Another warned that the current hardship imposed on families \u201ccannot be justified by appeals to patience or unity.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Iran<\/a>\u2019s Power Struggle: A Fractured Regime Hiding Behind Bold Rhetoric<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SzNeQLYdh4\">https:\/\/t.co\/SzNeQLYdh4<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/iran_policy\/status\/1978820649062735975?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"3961\" data-end=\"4004\">Vulnerability and Memory of Past Crises<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"4006\" data-end=\"4468\">The infighting has revived commentary from figures long absent from public debate. Former Majlis Speaker Ali-Akbar <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jahannews.com\/video\/956211\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nategh-Nouri stated<\/a> on October 27 that the pressure and political violence of the 1980s left him \u201con the verge of depression.\u201d His remarks implicitly evoked the regime\u2019s own fear: that the internal climate could shift from factional confrontation to broader instability.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"4521\" data-end=\"4798\">The convergence of these developments \u2014 the silent IRGC command reshuffle, public attacks among factions, and repeated calls for unity from both extremist and revisionist figures \u2014 points to a governing system that is increasingly unable to maintain its own internal cohesion.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"4800\" data-end=\"5107\">The uncertainty surrounding Naqdi\u2019s removal underscores the deeper issue. Whether it reflects suspicion of infiltration within the IRGC or the result of high-level power struggles, the consequence is the same: the regime is acting defensively, reorganizing inward, and treating internal actors as risks. This shift comes at a time when the clerical establishment is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/iranian-regime-infighting\/\">facing simultaneous pressure<\/a> from economic decline, public frustration over living standards, and shrinking regional leverage. In this environment, even routine command changes acquire political weight. The system is no longer projecting coherence; it is managing itself as a security threat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Three-minute read The clerical regime in Iran is facing another visible rupture at the top. The quiet removal of Mohammad-Reza Naqdi as Deputy Coordinator of the IRGC has generated speculation [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":338707,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,5450],"tags":[5482],"class_list":{"0":"post-338691","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"category-iranian-regime-infighting","9":"tag-iranian-regime-infighting"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Iran Power Struggle Widens as IRGC Leadership Change Fuels Questions Amid Growing Political Infighting - NCRI<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Three-minute read The clerical regime in Iran is facing another visible rupture at the top. 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