{"id":339933,"date":"2025-11-30T18:51:51","date_gmt":"2025-11-30T17:51:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=339933"},"modified":"2025-11-30T18:53:40","modified_gmt":"2025-11-30T17:53:40","slug":"infighting-in-tehran-as-elites-fight-over-mediation-censorship-and-blame","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/infighting-in-tehran-as-elites-fight-over-mediation-censorship-and-blame\/","title":{"rendered":"Infighting in Tehran as Elites Fight Over Mediation, Censorship and Blame"},"content":{"rendered":"
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File photo: fighting in Iran’s regime parliament<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Three-minute read<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

On Saturday, November 29, 2025, state-controlled newspapers in Iran read less like national dailies than transcripts of an imploding power struggle. The Revolutionary Guards\u2019 Javan<\/em> demanded prosecutions inside Masoud Pezeshkian\u2019s cabinet. Kayhan<\/em> accused pro-government reformists of betrayal. So-called “reformist” outlets exposed \u201cwhite\u201d SIM cards and privileged internet access for officials. And former president Hassan Rouhani punctured<\/a> the official narrative of post-war stability, acknowledging that five months after the 12-day conflict, \u201ca sense of security does not exist in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Across the spectrum, the story was the same \u2014 a ruling elite fraying under economic collapse, mistrust, and fear of public revolt, each faction racing to shift blame before the next shock hits.<\/p>\n

Hunt on ‘traitors’<\/h2>\n

The week\u2019s fiercest clash followed reports that Pezeshkian had written to Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman to mediate with Washington \u2014 a gesture interpreted as presidential initiative beyond factional control. For Khamenei\u2019s camp, that was intolerable.<\/p>\n

On Friday, November 28, the IRGC daily Javan<\/em> ran a front-page attack<\/a> titled \u201cThe Lies of Elyas Hazrati and Friends,\u201d urging prosecutors to charge Pezeshkian\u2019s communications chief for allowing the story to run. Hours later, state TV aired a prerecorded address from Khamenei, dismissing mediation claims as a \u201cpure lie\u201d and declaring that a government like the United States was not \u201cworthy\u201d of Iran\u2019s cooperation.<\/p>\n

Kayhan<\/em>, run by Khamenei\u2019s longtime confidant Hossein Shariatmadari, amplified the assault<\/a>, accusing the rival faction’s editors of \u201cspreading deliberate disinformation.\u201d The message was clear: foreign outreach, even rhetorical, is the Leader\u2019s exclusive domain.<\/p>\n

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#Iran<\/a> News: State Media Slams Senior Cleric for Accusing MPs of #Espionage<\/a> Amid Regime Infightinghttps:\/\/t.co\/W8CtQSTlhk<\/a><\/p>\n

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) January 13, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n