Iran’s president rejects resignation claims as internal divisions deepen

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian insisted Tuesday that he would remain in office, amid reports of repeated resignation threats and growing disputes over who is directing the country’s war and diplomatic strategy.

“I will not resign, and I will stand firm,” Pezeshkian said in a preview of an interview scheduled to air on Iranian state television. He also claimed that his government remains fully coordinated with Iran’s military leadership.

The public denial followed allegations from senior cleric Mohammad-Bagher Kharrazi, who has family ties to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Kharrazi claimed Pezeshkian had threatened to resign 28 times, but backed down after being warned that his next resignation would be accepted.

Iran International reported in May that Pezeshkian had submitted a resignation letter to the supreme leader’s office, arguing that his government was being excluded from major decisions as hardliners consolidated control. Iranian officials denied the report at the time, and no resignation letter has been made public.

Mitra Jashni, a cultural and political adviser with Iranian Americans for Liberty, told i24NEWS that “After the costly war driven by the IRGC policies, survival has become the central issue. When an authoritarian system begins to fear its own future, sooner or later those divisions come into the open.”

The dispute comes as Pezeshkian adopts a more cautious public position on the conflict with the United States. Speaking Tuesday, the president said Iran would defend its territory but did not want to expand the war.

“We will defend our boundaries, but we are not seeking to expand the war or continue it,” Pezeshkian said.

He also linked Iran’s national security to domestic cohesion, warning that internal divisions could give the country’s enemies an opportunity to interfere and “tear apart” its social fabric.

His remarks contrast with the harder line coming from influential figures in parliament, particularly over negotiations with Washington.

Iranian lawmaker Hosseinali Hajideligani said lawmakers were gathering evidence to pursue the impeachment of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Hajideligani accused the foreign minister of engaging in inappropriate talks during the U.S. ceasefire.

He argued that even using the word “negotiation” could signal weakness and invite renewed military action. He also warned that lawmakers would reject any agreement that limits Iranian sovereignty or gives up control over the country’s territorial waters.

The threat against Araghchi is especially significant as Washington and Tehran offer contradictory accounts of the latest diplomatic effort.

U.S. President Donald Trump says talks with Iran are already underway and has described the current effort as Tehran’s “last chance” to reach an agreement. Iranian officials deny that direct negotiations are taking place, saying Tehran is only speaking with Oman about navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

The disagreement inside Iran could make any agreement more difficult to approve and enforce. Even if Pezeshkian and Araghchi support an arrangement, hardliners in parliament and the security establishment could try to block it or portray it as a surrender of Iranian sovereignty.

The tensions also raise questions about Pezeshkian’s actual authority. While he remains the public face of Iran’s elected government, the supreme leader and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps retain control over the country’s most consequential military and national security decisions.

Hardliners may now be positioning Pezeshkian and Araghchi to take the blame for either outcome: continuing a costly war or accepting concessions to end it.

For now, Pezeshkian says he is staying. But the competing statements from the presidency, parliament and Iran’s clerical establishment reveal a deeper struggle over who controls the country’s next move, and who will be held responsible if that strategy fails.