Did Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian resign citing the Revolutionary Guard’s iron grip over decision making? Pezekshian only indirectly addressed the issue at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, saying “As long as I am alive I will continue.”
The presidential spokesman Seyed Tabatabei said “President Pezeshkian will not retreat from serving the people, just as the Iranian nation will not step back from the path of solidarity and resistance,” which of course neither confirmed nor denied the resignation.
But Pezekshian’s recent posts on X have fuelled speculation that all is not well between various organs of government. He wrote that overcoming major challengs required “public awareness and cooperation”, and stressed the need to explain the country’s “existing realities” to citizens.
“Confronting major challenges without enduring hardships is impossible,” he warned in another post. That there is a divide between Pezekshian and parliament speaker Galibaf, who are seen as the moderates, and the hardline Revolutionary Guard element has been reported and commented upon.
In Iran, during times of war, the armed forces and intelligence/security establishment gain dominance over other branches of government. It could be the same this time around. There is another factor that has gained traction on social media: is Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khomenei calling the shots or has he been reduced to a cipher?
Speculation suggest he is not the clear and undisputed centre of authority, which means not only could there be a civil-military divide, there maybe a deeper leadership vacuum.
The speculation about President Pezekshian points to a possible crisis of authority and decision making in Iran. Here it would not be surprising to see the Revolutionary Guard Corps seek to centralise power and push civilians to the margins.
The reports or rumours about the president resigning are linked to this wider narrative. But it’s hard for those on the outside to figure out exactly what is going on.
