Opinion

Trump is trying to negotiate with an Iranian regime at war with itself

Rival factions fight for survival as secrecy around Mojtaba Khamenei and stalling tactics expose a system in decay

By Erfan Fard Fox News

Published May 1, 2026 5:00am EDT

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The conflict among power factions in Tehran is no longer hidden; signs of confusion in a tense atmosphere, internal clashes and a power struggle are clearly visible, and internal rifts have become more apparent than ever. Under current conditions, Ahmad Vahidi, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), operates as a shadow leader; his faction stands in opposition to the faction of parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, while in the meantime the faction of Director of the Supreme National Security Council Mohammad Zolghadr plays the role of a hidden orchestrator. The circle of power is becoming tighter day by day, and in practice, the structure of governance has turned into a kind of joint-stock company of intelligence-security criminals.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, too, has so far been kept hidden by the core of power; and gradually, rumors of his death are spreading in society. But the question remains: how long can the ruling establishment continue this game? Is he even alive to be unveiled one day? If conditions are normal, what is the purpose of all this cat-and-mouse game; and if he is not alive, does this not mean an intensification of the power struggle within the regime?

At present, the remnants of the Assembly of Experts have issued a statement declaring that he is alive, and some regime-affiliated clerics — known as Shiite sources of emulation — have also confirmed this claim through official notices. But are all these staged scenes anything more than a political trick? Are the street mobilizations and regime propaganda among its supporters real, or merely part of a controlled performance? If the truth is revealed, does the regime have the capacity to respond to the destructive consequences?

Meanwhile,........

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