Media: Iran’s FM faces ouster push over "subservience" to Guards

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf are reportedly pushing for Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s removal, accusing him of acting in coordination with the IRGC rather than under civilian authority, according to sources familiar with internal talks.

The sources told Iran International that both leaders believe Araghchi has recently aligned himself closely with IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi in nuclear-related negotiations, allegedly bypassing the president and failing to provide updates on key diplomatic decisions.

Araghchi is said to have acted in recent weeks “in full coordination” with Vahidi and based on his directives, deepening tensions within Iran’s political establishment. Pezeshkian has reportedly expressed strong dissatisfaction and warned that he could dismiss the foreign minister if the pattern continues.

The dispute reflects broader institutional friction between Iran’s elected government and the powerful Revolutionary Guards, which has intensified during wartime conditions. Previous reports indicated that Vahidi has asserted greater control over sensitive state appointments, limiting civilian authority in key administrative decisions.

Additional tensions have emerged within Iran’s negotiating team structure. Lawmakers aligned with hardline factions have reportedly withheld support from parliamentary statements backing Ghalibaf’s role in talks, while internal disagreements have surfaced over the scope of nuclear discussions with the United States.

Ghalibaf himself was earlier reported to have stepped back from leading Iran’s negotiating team following internal criticism, with Araghchi subsequently travelling to Islamabad to deliver Tehran’s proposal in April. That initiative was later rejected by the US side, according to media reports.

By Aghakazim Guliyev