Uprising in Iran after agreement with America, why do radicals feel that a coup is about to happen?

In Tehran, when President Masoud Pezeshkian was accompanying the funeral procession of late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the black-clad radicals present there shouted slogans at him, ‘Death to the compromiser’. At the same time, stones were pelted at Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, calling him a traitor and a sellout; Araghchi had to immediately leave the place with his life. Radical groups are accusing President Massoud Pejeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf of plotting a soft coup against the Islamic Republic. He claims that these leaders had bowed before America and signed a ceasefire deal against the wishes of the new Supreme Leader Mujtaba Khamenei. Let us know what is the reason for this dispute and what is its relation with Hormuz. What is the government’s argument in this matter…

Why were there allegations of coup?

According to CNN, the theory is gaining momentum among the fundamentalist factions of Iran that the country’s leaders have signed the agreement with Washington. They have carried out a peaceful coup against the Islamic Republic and its revolutionary ideals. At the center of this entire controversy is the new Supreme Leader Mujtaba Khamenei. Fundamentalists believe that instead of avenging Ali Khamenei’s death, Iranian officials have surrendered to the US and all this has been done without following the orders of Mujtaba Khamenei. Currently, Mujtaba is completely missing from the public eye. It is rumored that he is in hiding due to threat to his life or is unwell.

According to Arash Azizi, a US-based Iran expert and author of ‘What Iranians Want’, Mujtaba’s absence means that hardliners do not have access to him. Meanwhile, chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, President Pezeshkian and Araghchi are effectively running the country. For this reason, ultra-hardliners have accused these three of plotting a coup.

Opposition and threats from fundamentalists

Opposition to the agreement had started long before Ali Khamenei’s funeral. Radical members of Iran’s Pyadari Front, conservative lawmakers and influential commentators are campaigning against the deal.

Radical MP Mahmoud Nabavian wrote on ‘X’, ‘Warning to the people of Iran, is there going to be a coup? We raise the flag of vengeance for the blood of the martyred Imam (Khamenei) and stand firmly against this coup. Meanwhile, MP Kamran Ghazanfari said, saying that we have won and America has retreated is a white lie.

Mohammed Ali Bakhshi, a religious singer associated with the regime, openly threatened President Pezeshkian during a ceremony, saying, “Mr. President, if the Supreme Leader’s conditions are not met, we will be there, we will have the sword and we will have your throat. We will make your life hell.” According to CNN, no legal action has been taken against Bakhshi over this threat.

Ceasefire broke after a few days

During the war, there were constant appeals for national unity in Iran, but the influence of fundamentalists was clearly visible in the funeral of Ali Khamenei. He used this opportunity to demand another war against America and completely reject any agreement with the Trump administration. After a few days, this tension was visible on the ground also. This week the fragile ceasefire between Iran and America almost broke. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards tried to show their dominance by targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz, in response to which the US took retaliatory military action.

Hormuz Strait- the biggest root of dispute

According to The Guardian, the biggest dispute in this agreement is on the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Hossein Shariatmadari, editor of the radical newspaper ‘Keyhan’, raised the question in an open letter that why is Tehran giving up its strongest bargaining weapon by opening this route? Hardliners argue that there is no clear guarantee of concrete relief from sanctions or any compensation in this agreement.

Mehdi Mohammadi, advisor to Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf, rejected these criticisms and said that the critics are protesting after seeing the old draft of the agreement. Mohammadi gave these 3 arguments…

1. This deal will end the war and provide relief to Iran from sanctions.
2. Iran and Oman will regulate shipping in the Strait of Hormuz under Iranian arrangements.
3. Iran has not accepted any new sanctions on its nuclear program. It has only reiterated its old policy that it will not make nuclear weapons.

triangle of power in iran

At present three poles have been formed in Iranian politics. On one side is the reformist faction (Pezeshkian and Araghchi), which wants to lift sanctions from Western countries to save the economy. On the other side are the ultra-hardliners (Paidari Front), who are in favor of ideological purity and direct confrontation with America. The third pole is that of the missing Supreme Leader (Mujtaba Khamenei), whose silence has given rise to this entire crisis.

Also read: Will Mamdani get Netanyahu arrested in New York? taking legal advice