Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is reportedly considering resignation amid deepening internal divisions within the country’s leadership, according to multiple media reports.

Sources cited primarily by Israeli outlets claim that Pezeshkian has privately expressed frustration over being sidelined by the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is said to have taken control of key military and strategic decisions during the ongoing conflict involving Iran, United States, and Israel.

According to these reports, the president has been excluded from critical wartime decision making processes and has faced significant barriers in accessing the country’s top leadership. In private discussions with aides, Pezeshkian allegedly indicated that the IRGC’s dominance has limited his authority, raising concerns about the balance of power within Iran’s governing structure.

Further claims suggest that Pezeshkian attempted to submit his resignation to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, but was unable to do so due to an inability to establish contact. These reports remain unverified, and no official confirmation has been issued by Iranian authorities.

Iran’s political system is characterized by a dual structure in which elected officials, including the president, operate alongside powerful unelected institutions such as the IRGC and the office of the Supreme Leader. Historically, tensions between these centers of power have surfaced during periods of crisis, particularly in times of military conflict.

The reported developments come amid escalating hostilities in the region, with senior Iranian figures allegedly targeted in ongoing military operations. Such losses could further strain internal cohesion within the leadership.

While the situation remains fluid and largely unconfirmed, the reports highlight potential fractures at the highest levels of Iran’s government, raising questions about political stability as the conflict continues.

Israel’s Defense Minister said in a televised statement on Monday that the country will “relentlessly pursue and neutralize” any senior Iranian figures deemed responsible for regional aggression or threats to Israeli security. Officials emphasized that the campaign would extend to Iranian-backed militias and their command structures in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria.

Targeting Iran’s Successors

Analysts say Israel’s strategy appears aimed at dismantling the chain of command within Iran’s leadership and weakening its ability to orchestrate military operations across the region. The focus is reportedly on hardline successors to the late supreme leader, including senior officials within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated paramilitary networks.

Israeli air and drone strikes have already targeted strategic sites in southern Lebanon and eastern Syria, where intelligence suggests that Iranian-linked leaders coordinate attacks against Israel and U.S. interests. The Defense Ministry said its operations will continue until Israel’s security concerns are fully addressed.

Regional Tensions Escalate

The latest vow comes as Iran appoints Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader, a move that has triggered domestic uncertainty and international concern. Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria have launched retaliatory strikes targeting Israeli positions in recent days, while Hezbollah has reportedly reinforced positions near Israel’s northern border.

Experts warn that this escalation could draw neighboring countries into the conflict, raising the risk of a wider regional war. “Israel’s stated objective is clear: prevent Iran from consolidating power and retaliating against its allies,” said Michael Eisenstadt, a Middle East security analyst. “But such operations carry significant risks of escalation, including direct confrontation with Tehran or its proxies.”

Global Response and Security Concerns

The United Nations and several Western governments have called for restraint and urged all parties to avoid actions that could further destabilize the Middle East. Meanwhile, global oil markets remain highly sensitive to developments, with prices spiking amid fears of disruption to exports from the Persian Gulf.

Israel has also signaled that its strikes are selective, focusing on high-value targets rather than broader civilian areas. Nevertheless, the humanitarian impact of ongoing attacks on Lebanese and Syrian infrastructure is drawing attention from international aid organizations.

Outlook

With tensions rising and no immediate diplomatic solution in sight, the coming days are expected to be critical. Israel’s vow to target Iranian successors underscores the high-stakes nature of the conflict and suggests that military escalation could continue for weeks or months.

Analysts caution that while Israel’s operations may degrade Iran’s command capabilities, they could also harden Iranian resolve and increase the likelihood of retaliatory attacks against Israeli and U.S. interests across the region.

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Last week, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was appointed Iran’s supreme leader by a hardline clerical council after his father was killed in a U.S. and Israeli airstrike. While Mojtaba inherits formal authority and strong ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, analysts and interviews with insiders suggest his loyalist base is markedly narrower and weaker than that of previous leaders.

Shrinking Support Among Hardliners

Experts say Iran’s hardline ideological base once bolstered by decades of state patronage, revolutionary zeal and mass mobilization has eroded significantly due to long-term economic stagnation, political repression and growing public frustration. “The strategy in choosing a hardliner as the new leader would be to consolidate the base,” said Ali Ansari, a history professor at the University of St Andrews. “But they’re ending up with an increasingly small circle of supporters. And the longer this goes on, the more it will all fray at the edges.”

Interviews with members of the Basij the volunteer militia long seen as a backbone of revolutionary support show deepening uncertainty even among staunch loyalists. Some Basij members still express readiness to defend the regime at all costs, but others acknowledge that privileges once enjoyed by regime supporters, such as preferential university spots and job opportunities, are vanishing amid economic collapse.

Core Loyalists vs. Wider Public Skepticism

While a core of diehard supporters remains those who consistently back the ideological system and actively participate in suppressing opposition their numbers appear diminished compared with earlier decades. In Iran’s last national election, hardline candidates garnered much smaller vote totals relative to the eligible voting population, reflecting broader public disengagement or disapproval.

Ordinary Iranians interviewed for recent reports say they feel alienated by the regime’s long record of corruption, economic mismanagement and political repression leaving many skeptical about pledging unwavering loyalty to a leader chosen in extraordinary wartime conditions. “We need to be realistic,” said one Basij member from Mashhad, pointing to continued U.S. pressure and the ruinous effects of airstrikes. “How are they going to rebuild this economy?”

Impact on the Islamic Republic’s Future

The Islamic Republic was created in the aftermath of the 1979 revolution with broad grassroots support. Over decades, it built powerful institutions including the Revolutionary Guard and Basij that helped it endure both internal dissent and external pressures. However, the current combination of a devastating regional war, economic collapse and shrinking popular support has stretched that system to its limits.

Despite ongoing state-organized mourning ceremonies and public displays of loyalty, analysts caution that the regime’s traditional sources of legitimacy and stability are increasingly fraying. That fragility could shape Iran’s domestic politics for years, influence how the country pursues the ongoing conflict, and affect how both allies and adversaries engage with Tehran moving forward.

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The appointment was confirmed by the Assembly of Experts, the powerful clerical body responsible for selecting Iran’s supreme leader. Mojtaba succeeds his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike in late February during the escalating regional conflict.

Analysts say the move reflects Tehran’s decision to prioritize continuity and confrontation over compromise with the West.

A Direct Rebuke to Washington

The selection of Mojtaba Khamenei comes despite strong opposition from U.S. President Donald Trump, who had previously dismissed the younger Khamenei as “unacceptable” and suggested Washington should influence Iran’s future leadership.

Iran’s decision to elevate him instead underscores the regime’s determination to maintain its ideological course and reject external pressure.

Regional experts say the move represents a symbolic and strategic response to Washington’s military campaign.

“Having Mojtaba take over is the same playbook,” said analyst Alex Vatanka of the Middle East Institute, noting that the leadership transition ensures continuity of the system rather than reform.

Consolidation of Hardline Power

At 56, Mojtaba Khamenei has long been an influential but largely behind-the-scenes figure within Iran’s political and security establishment. He is widely believed to have close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the powerful military organization that plays a central role in Iran’s domestic security and regional strategy.

His rise marks the first time the Islamic Republic’s top leadership has effectively passed from father to son an unusual development for a system that emerged from the 1979 revolution opposing hereditary rule.

Despite criticism over the dynastic aspect of the transition, key clerics and security leaders backed Mojtaba as the candidate most capable of preserving the regime during a period of war and political uncertainty.

War and Regional Escalation

The leadership change comes amid a rapidly escalating conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. The strike that killed Ali Khamenei was part of a broader campaign targeting senior Iranian leadership and military infrastructure.

Fighting has since spread across the region, with missile and drone attacks targeting Israeli, U.S. and Gulf state positions while Israeli forces have struck sites in Iran and Lebanon. The conflict has already caused hundreds of casualties and raised fears of a wider regional war.

Global energy markets have also been affected, with disruptions in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz pushing oil prices sharply higher.

Uncertain Path Ahead

Iran now faces mounting internal pressure from economic hardship and political unrest, alongside the external threat posed by ongoing military confrontation.

Observers say Mojtaba Khamenei’s leadership is likely to bring an even more uncompromising stance toward the United States and its allies.

For now, Tehran’s message appears clear: despite war, sanctions and foreign pressure, the Islamic Republic intends to preserve its existing power structure and confront its adversaries head-on.

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