Will Iran President’s next resignation be accepted? Report claims ‘final ultimatum’ given by Khamenei
Iran is facing fresh political tensions after Israeli media claimed that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has issued a “final ultimatum” to President Masoud Pezeshkian, warning that any future resignation would be accepted.The report has been strongly denied by Iranian officials and triggered political backlash.According to Israeli broadcaster Channel 14, citing sources familiar with developments in Tehran, Khamenei has told Pezeshkian that if he offers to resign again, the resignation will be accepted. The report claimed this effectively removes one of the president’s main political pressure tactics.Pezeshkian had reportedly threatened to resign several times during disagreements with Iran’s leadership over policy. In May, he is said to have formally offered to step down, arguing that his government had been “entirely sidelined” from major national security and foreign policy decisions.Channel 14 further claimed that Khamenei has thrown his support behind Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander Ahmad Vahidi on key issues related to the United States and the regional conflict, giving him greater influence over strategic decision-making.The report said differences between Iran’s civilian leadership and the IRGC have largely faded, with Vahidi’s hardline approach now shaping Tehran’s policy towards Washington. It also claimed Khamenei has given the IRGC commander the final say on major decisions involving the United States.According to the report, Iranian leaders believe US President Donald Trump is unlikely to make any major policy changes before the November midterm elections. As a result, Tehran is expected to maintain pressure while trying to maximise its strategic and economic leverage.Channel 14 also reported that there are no formal negotiations between Tehran and Washington at present. However, indirect communication is continuing through Iranian foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US special envoys, particularly Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with Qatar and Pakistan acting as mediators.The report comes as Trump warned Iran that it has a “last chance” to reach an agreement after the US paused a planned military strike following requests from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to continue diplomatic efforts.Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump said the United States had been prepared to launch a major military operation against Iran before regional allies urged Washington to give diplomacy another opportunity.“This is a last chance. This is not something that if it doesn’t happen, this is a last chance for them to sign a good document,” Trump said while discussing ongoing talks with Tehran.Claiming that the talks were initiated at Iran’s request, Trump added, “We are talking right now, we’re talking, and we’re talking at the request of Iran, backed by Saudi Arabia, backed by the UAE, and backed by Qatar in particular, but others also. Many countries called… they all wanted to give this a last chance.”The US President also alleged that Iran had publicly denied holding talks despite repeated meetings with American officials.“It’s an amazing thing… we have many talks… they’ll sometimes deny it, even though they’ve spent hours and hours together talking. But the talks are going along,” he said.Trump further claimed that the US had been ready to carry out a large-scale strike against Iran before diplomatic intervention led to a pause in military action.
