Iranian Dissident Media: Hardline Faction Divided Over Ceasefire Talks With US

The anti-government media outlet Iran International reported on April 29 (local time) that internal power struggles over ceasefire negotiations are intensifying within Iran, leading to divisions among the hardline faction.

According to the report, the rift within Iran’s hardliners surfaced earlier this week when ultra-hardline lawmakers refused to sign in support of the ceasefire negotiation team.

The situation has also developed into a conflict between the conservative media outlet Raja News and Tasnim News, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

At the heart of the confrontation lies a power struggle between the ultra-hardline camp supporting former chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and the faction backing parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who recently led negotiations in Islamabad.

Twenty-seven lawmakers, including seven aligned with Jalili, refused to sign a joint statement supporting the leadership of Speaker Ghalibaf and the ceasefire negotiation team that traveled to Islamabad, Pakistan.

The tension between the two sides has further escalated into a war of words among state-affiliated media outlets.

Raja News, representing Jalili’s camp, and Tasnim News exchanged sharp accusations, each claiming the other was undermining national unity.

Tasnim News published an editorial criticizing the ultra-hardliners’ “demand for full sanctions relief” and “demand for a comprehensive ceasefire for regional allied forces” as unrealistic, defending a more pragmatic negotiation course. In response, Raja News pushed back. Although Tasnim News deleted the article, the dispute continues.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.