Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has denied claims that he repeatedly threatened to resign as he faces hardline factions opposed to reaching a settlement with the US over the Strait of Hormuz.
Denial in TV interview
In a television interview marking his second anniversary in office, Pezeshkian dismissed the resignation reports, saying: "If I want to resign, I will officially announce that I have resigned. I will not resign, I will stand."
The claims, which have been front-page news in Iran, were made by Mohammad Bagher Kharazi, linked by marriage to Mojtaba Khamenei, the new supreme leader. Kharazi said Pezeshkian had become frustrated at being excluded from decision-making, worsened by the supreme leader's reluctance to reveal his whereabouts for fear of foreign intelligence agencies.
Khamenei's office rejects claims
Khamenei's office said on Tuesday that the claims were "fundamentally false and untrue." Pezeshkian insisted he was in complete harmony with the military and challenged those claiming 30,000 people had been killed in January protests to provide proof.
The interview appeared to be an attempt to dispel the impression that his belief in consensus was a weakness or that he had been sidelined by hardline war leaders.
Internal divisions over US talks
The row has highlighted deep strategic and tactical differences inside Iran over the wisdom of talks with the US. Mehdi Tabatabaei, a senior member of the president's office, described the reports as "complete nonsense and lies," condemning a "sinister coalition of lying, deceitful and reckless extremism."
Ahmad Zeidabadi, a reformist reporter, said the claims were inflammatory and served to exacerbate tensions. Pezeshkian suggested that the memorandum of understanding negotiated with the US in June would serve as a cornerstone for future Iranian foreign relations.
On Monday, the conservative-dominated Assembly of Experts issued a statement describing hopes for an agreement with the US as "futile" and labelled "whispers of capitulation" an "unforgivable betrayal." Khamenei had said in April he was opposed to talks with the US in principle but had allowed them to go ahead in deference to Pezeshkian.
