Media: Iran’s parliamentary speaker resigns amid internal rift over talks

Iran’s political establishment is facing renewed signs of internal tension after media reports claimed that the Speaker of Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has resigned and stepped down from a key negotiation role.

According to Israel’s N12 News, Ghalibaf withdrew from the Iranian negotiating team following reported intervention by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). 

The alleged development comes amid growing speculation over divisions within Iran’s leadership regarding engagement with the United States.

Earlier, Iran International, citing sources, reported that disputes among Iran’s leadership had derailed a planned trip by an Iranian delegation to Islamabad for talks with the United States. According to the report, disagreements between allies of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and figures close to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei led to the trip being cancelled at the last minute.

“According to sources familiar with the matter, the delegation was ready to depart when a message arrived from Khamenei’s circle prohibiting discussion of nuclear issues and reprimanding the Foreign Ministry team over the previous round of talks,” the outlet noted.

As a result, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that under such restrictions, there was no point in going to the negotiations, as there would be no chance of any success.