Iranian Presidential Office: "Reports of President Pezeshkian's Resignation Are False"

Tasnim News Agency under the Revolutionary Guard also denies the rumors

Reuters and Yonhap News

The Iranian government has categorically denied reports by some foreign media outlets regarding the resignation of President Masoud Pezeshkian, calling them false. This swift response appears to be aimed at minimizing diplomatic shock while negotiations for an armistice agreement with the United States are ongoing.

According to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency on May 31 (local time), Fatemeh Mohajerani, spokesperson for the Iranian presidential office, stated on the social networking service X, "Reports claiming that President Pezeshkian will step down are false," adding, "President Pezeshkian has emphasized that he will stand with the Iranian people during these difficult times and is continuing his efforts to address national issues as usual."

Tasnim News Agency, which operates under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also cited a government official saying, "President Pezeshkian has not resigned and is continuing to carry out his duties." The official further stated, "This report has no basis in reality, and such rumors are the result of operations by Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad."

This prompt and direct rebuttal of the resignation rumors is seen as an effort to address a diplomatically sensitive issue while armistice agreement talks between the United States and Iran are ongoing. Previously, The New York Times (NYT) reported on the previous day, citing three U.S. officials, that President Trump had toughened the provisional terms contained in the armistice memorandum of understanding, and that a revised document reflecting these changes had been sent back to the Iranian side. As a result, the armistice agreement, which had been close to finalization, has been delayed again.

Previously, Iran International (INT), a dissident Iranian media outlet, had exclusively reported that President Pezeshkian had submitted his resignation. INT quoted Iranian government sources as saying, "President Pezeshkian submitted an official letter of resignation to the Supreme Leader," and reported, "In the resignation letter, the president stated that hardliners within the Revolutionary Guard had seized control of key state power agencies, effectively excluding him and his government from major national decision-making, and requested an immediate resignation."

Although the Iranian government and military quickly denied the resignation rumors, it is widely known that power struggles between the Iranian government and the Revolutionary Guard are intensifying. According to CNN, rumors of discord between the two sides have been surfacing since March. President Pezeshkian reportedly requested that the Revolutionary Guard halt its offensive in Syria, but the Revolutionary Guard ignored the request and continued its attacks, fueling analysis that internal power struggles are deepening.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.