Further signs of turmoil are emerging in Irans U.S. negotiating team as hardliner Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf looks set to be replaced by a veteran conservative known for rejecting nuclear concessions, according to reports.
Iran International reported April 24 that Saeed Jalili, 60 â who already leads what has been described as a “shadow government” â is expected to succeed Ghalibaf following his sudden departure amid .
Jalili also heads Irans ultra-hardline faction known as the Stability Front (Paydari), which is known to be a “bastion of ultraconservatism in Iran,” according to reports.
Ali Safavi, an official with the Iranian opposition coalition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told Fox News Digital that Jalili “has evolved from a nuclear negotiator to an influential actor within the regime.”
Ghalibaf was reportedly forced to step down after attempting to bring the with Washington, a move that triggered backlash within Irans political establishment.
President Donald Trump had called off plans for U.S. envoys to travel to Pakistan for peace talks with Iran on April 25.
The rivalry between Jalili and Ghalibaf is said to span more than a decade and intensified during the 2024 , when Jalili refused to step aside, contributing to the victory of President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Safavi said, “The increased visibility of latent divisions stems from recurring nationwide uprisings, deep economic crises and the pressures of war, all of which have intensified internal feuding.
“Far from signaling transformation, these developments reflect accelerating erosion and mounting pressure, the regime ever weaker and more vulnerable,” he added.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is also seeking a continued leading role in negotiations, highlighting over Irans diplomatic strategy, sources said.
Araghchi is in Islamabad, Pakistan, after returning from a short trip to Muscat, Oman, where he is holding high-level diplomatic talks on the conflict. Reports indicate Araghchi will travel to Moscow.
Jalilis potential appointment, however, signals a hardening of Irans stance, with more emphasis on resistance over compromise.
“Within this regime, there are a number of constants espoused by all factions,” Safavi said before highlighting that these were “repression, the export of and the pursuit of nuclear weapons.”
“The factions all ultimately move along a common path: the . They differ in methods, not in objectives,” Safavi cautioned.
Jalili, meanwhile, served as Irans top nuclear negotiator from 2007 to 2013 under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and later ran for president three times. He also served as secretary of the Supreme .
A former member of the , Jalili lost his right leg at 21 during the Iran-Iraq War, earning him the title of “Living Martyr”.
The Paydari Front, which he is associated with, opposes engagement with the West â particularly the 2015 nuclear deal â and advocates a doctrine of
During Hassan Rouhanis presidency, Jalili also established a “shadow government” to counter the administrations policies, especially the nuclear deal.
On April 7, he wrote on X: “Yes â infrastructure is on the verge of collapse; the infrastructure of domination and the American order. And after that, a better foundation will be built.”
A day earlier, he posted: “Shut up is not the appropriate response to Trumps ramblings; let him speak more. Nothing is more effective in laying bare the true nature of the United States than Trumps outbursts.”
“In dealing with this regime,” Safavi said, “we must bear in mind that in the 45 years since the in 1981
