A House Divided? The Desperate Effort to Deny Infighting Within the Iranian Government
The Vice Chairman of the Iranian Parliament has dismissed all reports of secret negotiations as "baseless," insisting that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the Supreme Leader says otherwise.
Despite the overwhelming military pressure and reports of back-channel communications, the Iranian political establishment is publicly maintaining a stance of total defiance. The Vice Chairman of the Iranian Parliament recently addressed rumors that the Speaker of the Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has been engaged in secret negotiations with the West. He labeled these claims "baseless" and argued that they are part of a psychological war intended to "incite internal Iranian discord." According to the Vice Chairman, the authority to decide on matters of war, peace, and negotiation rests solely with the Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and as of now, the regime’s position remains unchanged: there will be no opening of the Strait of Hormuz and no talks with the "enemy."
Resistance Amidst the Siege
The regime’s insistence that the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened is being framed as a matter of national survival. Iranian officials argue that they are fighting a war for the very existence of the Islamic Republic and that their control over the Strait is their only remaining leverage against the global economy. By denying that any negotiations have taken place or will ever take place, the parliament is attempting to project a united front to both its domestic population and its regional proxies. This rhetoric serves to counter the narrative from Washington and Jerusalem that the regime is on the verge of collapse and is desperately looking for a diplomatic exit.
However, the need to publicly deny these rumors suggests that there is significant anxiety within the leadership regarding internal stability. As the "Battle for Tehran" continues and the military's industrial base is systematically destroyed, the pressure on the political elite to find a solution is immense. The Vice Chairman’s statement was specifically aimed at quelling suggestions that different factions within the government are moving in opposite directions. Despite the defiant words, the reality of the war, marked by the loss of senior commanders and the constant aerial bombardment, continues to shrink the regime’s options, leaving them increasingly isolated as their regional "alliances" begin to look toward a future without the Ayatollah’s influence.