{"id":344444,"date":"2026-04-19T19:38:40","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T18:38:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=344444"},"modified":"2026-04-19T19:38:40","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T18:38:40","slug":"infighting-erupts-inside-irans-power-structure-as-crisis-deepens-over-hormuz-and-nuclear-talks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/iranian-regime-infighting\/infighting-erupts-inside-irans-power-structure-as-crisis-deepens-over-hormuz-and-nuclear-talks\/","title":{"rendered":"Infighting Erupts Inside Iran\u2019s Power Structure as Crisis Deepens Over Hormuz and Nuclear Talks"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Iran's
Archive image showing Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf in a heated exchange with fellow MPs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

A series of sharply conflicting statements from senior Iranian officials and clerical figures has exposed deepening infighting at the top of the ruling structure, centered on the Strait of Hormuz and potential negotiations with the United States.<\/p>\n

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi triggered<\/a> the latest wave of tension by announcing that the Strait of Hormuz would remain fully open to commercial shipping during a ceasefire period. His statement was quickly contradicted by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who insisted that transit remains conditional and under Iran\u2019s control.<\/p>\n

Military-linked institutions then intervened, asserting that the strait is firmly controlled and that access depends on the Iranian regime\u2019s terms. The rapid succession of conflicting positions underscores the absence of a unified policy line at a critical moment.<\/p>\n

Hardline clerics escalate rhetoric to block any perception of retreat<\/h2>\n

At Friday prayer platforms on April 17, 2026, senior clerics moved aggressively to counter any signal that could be interpreted as compromise.<\/p>\n

Ahmad Khatami, a senior cleric appointed by the Supreme Leader, warned negotiators<\/a> to maintain total distrust toward the United States, rejecting even symbolic gestures.<\/p>\n

In Yazd, Mohammad-Reza Naseri Yazdi, the Supreme Leader\u2019s representative, called for closing the Strait of Hormuz and framed it as a decisive strategic weapon.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Abbas Mousavi Motlagh, another state-affiliated cleric, called for the suppression of dissent, declaring that any voice expressing internal disagreement should be silenced by force and criticizing officials for issuing statements outside controlled channels.<\/p>\n

These positions go beyond foreign policy\u2014they are aimed at preventing any internal perception of weakness.<\/p>\n

\n

The central fact of post-Khamenei Iran is that the regime has entered a crisis of command. The state still carries on with #war<\/a> and oppression, but the one office that could settle every serious dispute is gone.https:\/\/t.co\/6JH4qQriPf<\/a><\/p>\n

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) March 8, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n