Iran’s hardliners warn of a ‘coup’ as US truce comes under pressure
Hardline Factions in Iran Sound Alarm Over Alleged Power Grab
Iran s hardliners warn of a coup – During a somber procession in Tehran last week, President Masoud Pezeshkian followed closely behind the coffin of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Yet the atmosphere surrounding them was charged with hostility rather than reverence. Black-clad mourners directed their chants not toward the deceased leader, but toward the president himself, shouting “death to the compromiser.” Nearby, another prominent figure faced similar treatment. Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s chief diplomat who secured a ceasefire agreement with the Trump administration and secured the lifting of certain sanctions, was compelled to escape the ceremony after a hostile crowd hurled stones at him while chanting accusations that he was a “traitorous sellout.”
These public displays of anger toward senior officials reveal a narrative that radical elements within the Islamic Republic have been promoting for several months. According to this perspective, the leaders who negotiated and finalized the peace deal with Washington are orchestrating a subtle coup against the nation’s revolutionary foundations. This alleged power grab is supposedly happening while the new supreme leader stays largely out of sight, either because he fears for his safety or, as some speculate, because he is unable to function normally.
The Hardline Perspective on Leadership
Radical factions that gathered in significant numbers for the funeral ceremony believe Iranian authorities have capitulated rather than seeking vengeance for Khamenei’s assassination. They argue that the signed agreement contradicts directives issued by Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s son who succeeded him. Despite this, Mojtaba has avoided public appearances, neither speaking directly to citizens nor demonstrating clear control over affairs, even as officials conduct negotiations and governance under his name.
Hardliners have leveled multiple accusations against Iran’s visible leadership. They claim these officials are attempting to consolidate authority by potentially suspending parliament, ignoring Mojtaba’s instructions during negotiations, and trying to break up the nightly street demonstrations that have grown into a significant stronghold for fundamentalists.
Mahmoud Nabavian, a vocal radical member of parliament, voiced these concerns publicly. “Warning to the people of Iran: Is a coup on the way??” he questioned on social media platform X several days before the funeral. Following the ceremony, he added: “In these moments of farewell to the martyred Imam (Khamenei), we raise the banner of vengeance for his blood and stand firm against the coup.”
Power Vacuum and Rising Tensions
With Mojtaba remaining absent from public life, three figures have emerged as the most prominent leaders of post-conflict Iran: chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, President Pezeshkian, and diplomat Araghchi. According to Arash Azizi, an Iran specialist based in the United States and author of “What Iranians Want,” this absence has created complications.
“Mojtaba’s continued absence means that they don’t have access to him and also that Ghalibaf and allies are effectively in charge of the country… the ultra-hardliners have thus accused Ghalibaf and Pezeshkian of plotting a ‘coup’ against Mojtaba,” Azizi explained to CNN.
The week-long grand funeral for Khamenei, who died in late February during coordinated Israeli and American airstrikes, transformed into a platform for hardline voices. These supporters used the occasion to demand renewed conflict with Washington and to reject any settlement with Trump. Their demands seem to have gained traction recently.
A tenuous ceasefire between Iran and the United States nearly disintegrated this week when the Revolutionary Guards initiated attacks on maritime vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, seeking to dominate the critical waterway. Washington responded with counterstrikes, while Iranian hardliners intensified their calls to abandon the truce entirely.
Threats Against the President
Before hostilities escalated, hardliners had already turned their attention toward the architects of the peace deal. During a formal ceremony, Mohammad Ali Bakhshi, a religious singer known for his loyalty to the regime and connection to security forces, issued a stark warning to Pezeshkian.
“Mr President, if the leader’s conditions are not fulfilled, then it will be us, the blade and your throat,” Bakhshi declared. “We will bring hell upon you.”
While this open threat against the president drew widespread criticism, Bakhshi has not encountered any legal consequences. Meanwhile, other officials face mounting pressure from hardline elements, including Ghalibaf, the former Revolutionary Guard commander whose extensive political background allowed him to assume leadership during the conflict, emerging as the regime’s primary operator.