"Iran's 'Moderate' President Offers Resignation, Claims Hardliners Control State Affairs"

Letter Sent to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei

Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran known as a 'moderate' within the country, is reported to have tendered his resignation to the Office of Iran's Supreme Leader.

Masoud Pezeshkian, President of Iran, during a TV debate as a presidential candidate in July 2024. Photo by AP Yonhap News.

The Iranian dissident media outlet Iran International reported on May 31 (local time), citing an anonymous official, that President Pezeshkian sent a letter conveying his intent to resign to the office of Iran's new leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

In the letter, President Pezeshkian stated that "the government and the president have effectively been excluded from the core decision-making process," claiming that the hardliners of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have seized control of state affairs. He is also reported to have lamented that, under the current circumstances, it is impossible for the government to operate or fulfill its legal responsibilities.

The outlet further reported that, recently, conflicts between hardliners and moderates in Iran have intensified over issues such as nuclear negotiations with the United States, the Strait of Hormuz, and the release of frozen funds in Qatar.

President Pezeshkian was elected as the 14th President of Iran in the July 2024 election. A former surgeon, he is classified as a moderate.

According to Fox News in the United States, this resignation request comes at a time when the United States and Iran are continuing their negotiations to end the war. Previously, the New York Times and other outlets reported on May 30 that U.S. President Donald Trump did not sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran, which aimed to secure the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and an additional 60-day period for nuclear negotiations.

The ongoing clash between Iranian hardliners and moderates has long been cited as one of the reasons making it difficult for the two countries to reach a peace agreement. The U.S. side has attributed the failure of negotiations to Iran, further fueling the narrative of 'Iranian division.' U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly pointed to internal divisions within Iran’s leadership, stating that the regime is "seriously divided."

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