Axios: Internal power struggle in Iran exposed after Hormuz decision

Divisions within Iran’s leadership have deepened in the wake of recent diplomatic efforts with the United States, exposing a growing rift between civilian negotiators and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to a report by Axios.

US officials first detected signs of internal disagreement following the initial round of talks in Islamabad. It became evident at that stage that Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Gen. Ahmad Vahidi and his deputies had rejected significant elements of what Iran’s own negotiators had discussed during the meetings.

The split became public last Friday, April 17, when Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps refused to implement the decision and began openly criticising him.

In the days that followed, Iran did not provide a substantive response to the latest US proposal and declined to commit to a second round of negotiations in Pakistan.

According to US officials cited by Axios, the internal fracture is partly linked to Israel’s assassination of Ali Larijani in March. Larijani, who previously served as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, had played a central role in maintaining cohesion within the country’s decision-making structure.

His successor, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, has not been able to fulfill that role effectively. As one US official told Axios, Zolghadr — whose responsibilities include coordinating between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the civilian leadership, and the supreme leader — has struggled to ensure alignment across Iran’s power centres.