Iran’s far-right Paydari Front accused President Masoud Pezeshkian and top officials of staging a soft coup by seizing power amid Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s prolonged absence. The internal political struggle comes as Tehran exchanges fresh strikes with the United States, exposing deep leadership divisions over nuclear negotiations and state control.
As Iran faces external military pressure following fresh US strikes launched in response to ballistic missile fire, an intense political battle is unfolding behind the scenes in Tehran. The country’s ultra-hardline political faction has publicly turned on the administration, accusing senior leaders of mounting a power grab while the supreme authority remains out of public view.
The Paydari Front Accuses Leadership of a Soft Coup
The Islamic Republic’s far-right political party, the Paydari Front—often referred to as the Super Revolutionaries
—has long suspected that the nation’s top leadership surrendered to the United States. Operating behind the state broadcaster, IRIB, and viewing themselves as the guardians of the values of the 1979 revolution,
hardliners escalated their rhetoric following the death of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Party members have accused President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf of exploiting the prolonged absence of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to consolidate power. Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since the war broke out on February 28, creating a leadership vacuum that hardliners claim is being weaponized against parliament and regime ideals.
“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.”
Arash Azizi, US-based Iran expert, via CNN
In the days leading up to the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Paydari Front member Mahmoud Nabavian called on regime loyalists to raise the banner of vengeance for his blood and stand firm against the coup.
Disputed Nuclear Directives and Institutional Rivalries
The friction between Iran’s elected figures and the hardline apparatus centers heavily on diplomatic strategy and institutional control. Critics within the Paydari Front argue that the current administration is deliberately elevating the authority of the Supreme Council for National Security while sidelining both the supreme leader and parliament.
During a public gathering in Tehran, Paydari Front member Kamran Ghazanfari accused Ghalibaf of direct insubordination regarding the nation’s atomic program. Ghazanfari alleged that Ghalibaf intentionally ignored three specific instructions not to enter negotiations over nuclear matters
issued earlier in the year.
“Those instructions were given on April 4, April 18 and in early May. Yet Ghalibaf claims that he follows and obeys the Supreme Leader, but his actions were inconsistent with that.”
Kamran Ghazanfari, Paydari Front member, via Iran International
According to Hamidreza Azizi, a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Ghalibaf has actively attempted to marginalize the hardline faction. Analysts point out that the faction’s hardline stance is viewed as too costly for the system, particularly as instability deepens across the country.
Internal Factions Clash Amid Regional Escalation
The public airing of grievances shatters the veneer of state unity. While external observers—including US President Donald Trump—have suggested that Tehran’s current leadership may be far less radicalized
than previous administrations, domestic friction tells a vastly different story.
The Paydari Front represents a dedicated minority of the population that remains fundamentally opposed to any diplomatic engagement with Western powers. Their willingness to air these bitter disputes in public indicates that the regime’s internal ideological battles have become as pressing to Tehran as its confrontation with Washington.
What Lies Ahead for Tehran’s Power Structure
As long as Mojtaba Khamenei remains out of the public eye, the institutional tug-of-war between the elected administration and the ultra-hardline network is set to intensify. Whether President Pezeshkian and Ghalibaf can maintain control over foreign policy depends heavily on the eventual reemergence of the supreme leader and the trajectory of the ongoing conflict with the United States.
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