Top Iranian officials seeking removal of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, says report

3 min read New Delhi Updated: May 1, 2026 02:39 PM IST Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. (File Photo) Iran’s top leadership is reportedly seeking the removal of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi over his alignment with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief’s stance in the nuclear talks with the United States. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf believe that Araghchi has acted more as an aide to Guard Corps’ Commander-in-Chief, Ahmad Vahidi, than as a cabinet minister, Iran International reported. Citing sources familiar with ongoing discussions between the country’s executive and legislature, the opposition-aligned news outlet reported that Araghchi has acted based on Vahidi’s directives for the past two weeks without informing Pezeshkian. The President said he will dismiss Araghchi if it continues. This comes a week after Ghalibaf, a former IRGC commander, was removed from the peace talks owing to pressure from the Guard Corps, which accused him of attempting to expand discussions to include nuclear-related issues. Ghalibaf led the Iranian delegation in Islamabad during the first round of talks with the US. Tehran’s nuclear programme remains the key sticking point. Following Ghalibaf’s departure, Araghchi was seeking to lead the negotiations, Iran International reported. The IRGC’s influence has reportedly grown in Iran’s state apparatus while Israel has been skimming layers of the Islamic Republic’s leadership with ‘decapitation’ strikes. Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei (who is yet to be seen publicly since assuming the role), never held public office but succeeded his father, Ali Khamenei, in a system that looks down upon dynastic succession. He was known for his links with the Guard Corps. His appointment may mean he is beholden to the paramilitary, agencies reported. Story continues below this ad Iran’s de facto wartime leader and security chief, Ali Larijani, who was killed in an Israeli strike last month, was an IRGC commander, and so is his successor, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr. The paramilitary’s agenda is to preserve the 1979 revolution’s legacy. Earlier this week, Financial Times reported that politicians linked to Paydari, an influential ultra-hardline faction, clashed with the moderates over the nuclear issue. Hardliners are opposed to negotiations with the US, while moderates are pushing for greater engagement with the West as a means to secure sanctions relief for Tehran’s cash-strapped economy. After Trump hinted at a split in Islamic Republic’s leadership, Iran showed a united front, stating that “in our Iran, there are no hardliners or moderates.” However, dozens of conservative lawmakers declined to sign a parliamentary statement backing Iran’s negotiation team. Following the deadlock in the Islamabad talks, the US’ naval blockade of Iranian ports to force Iran back to the negotiating table, as crude exports from the Strait of Hormuz are the lifeline of Tehran’s cash-strapped economy. Earlier this week, Washington rejected Iran’s peace proposal, which offered to reopen the Strait if Washington lifts its blockade, while offering nuclear talks in a later phase. The Express Global Desk at The Indian Express delivers authoritative, verified, and context-driven coverage of key international developments shaping global politics, policy, and migration trends. 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