{"id":340777,"date":"2025-12-23T15:16:02","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T14:16:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=340777"},"modified":"2025-12-23T18:16:37","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T17:16:37","slug":"khameneis-national-cohesion-photo-op-exposes-irans-deepening-power-struggle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/iranian-regime-infighting\/khameneis-national-cohesion-photo-op-exposes-irans-deepening-power-struggle\/","title":{"rendered":"Khamenei\u2019s \u201cNational Cohesion\u201d Photo-Op Exposes Iran\u2019s Deepening Power Struggle"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Ali
Secretary of the Iranian regime’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani and the Supreme Leader’s advisor Ali Akbar Velayati speak during a session of the parliament (archival photo).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Three-minute read<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On\u00a0December\u00a016, 2025, Ali Akbar Velayati\u2014Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei\u2019s longtime senior adviser on international affairs\u2014held a\u00a0<\/span>highly publicized meeting<\/span><\/a>\u00a0with Ali Larijani, the newly installed secretary of\u00a0the regime\u2019s Supreme National Security Council.\u00a0State media described it as a working session on \u201cregional issues\u201d and \u201cinternational developments,\u201d a carefully staged signal that key establishment figures\u00a0remain\u00a0aligned amid widening elite infighting.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Following the meeting and in a post on X that has been repeatedly\u00a0<\/span>referenced by Iranian outlets<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in the context of elite messaging, Velayati argued that \u201cobsolete methods\u201d will not meet the demands of a \u201cpost-war society,\u201d and that \u201cnational cohesion\u201d should translate into governance changes that are \u201ctangible\u201d to citizens.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Velayati\u2019s post-meeting messaging should be read as managed signaling from the top, not\u00a0dissent:\u00a0by having a senior adviser talk about \u201cobsolete methods,\u201d \u201cnational unity,\u201d and the need for \u201ctangible\u201d public satisfaction, the system can hint at course-correction without forcing Ali Khamenei to publicly acknowledge backpedaling. In practice, this kind of surrogate rhetoric helps K<\/span>hamenei distance himself from potential fallout\u2014if the message calms tensions it can later be embraced as \u201cthe Leader\u2019s line,\u201d and if it fails or provokes hardliner backlash the cost is borne by intermediaries\u2014while simultaneously creating the impression of imminent change to buy time amid mounting socio-economic pressure and rising\u00a0infighting\u00a0within the regime\u2019s inner circle, including parliamentary threats to censure or impeach ministers over surging prices.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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#Iran<\/a>\u2019s Power Struggle Widens as Crises Overwhelm the Systemhttps:\/\/t.co\/pQgDY3BYUi<\/a><\/p>\n

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) December 4, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n