Hardline Push to Impeach Iran President Pezeshkian Sparks Conservative Rift
A hardline Iranian lawmaker's bid to impeach President Masoud Pezeshkian has sparked a fierce internal conflict within Tehran's conservative camp, drawing sharp pushback from Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
An attempt by a hardline Iranian lawmaker to push for the impeachment of President Masoud Pezeshkian has sparked an unprecedented rift within the conservative camp itself. According to Iran International, the initiative was launched during an informal gathering of members of parliament at the Shah Abdol-Azim shrine in southern Tehran, drawing strong opposition from Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and his supporters.
Constitutional Mechanism and the Specter of 1981
During the meeting, an unnamed lawmaker raised the issue of the president's political incompetence, invoking a constitutional mechanism to terminate his term. The parliamentarian went so far as to compare Pezeshkian to Abolhassan Banisadr, Iran's first president who was ousted by parliament in 1981 shortly after the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war. Under Article 89 of the Iranian Constitution, initiating impeachment requires the support of at least one-third of lawmakers, while actual removal demands a two-thirds supermajority.
The conflict spilled into the open when parliament member Mojtaba Zarei, a loyalist of Ghalibaf, denounced the move as a coup d'plot against the government. Zarei emphasized that Pezeshkian's administration enjoys the backing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and threatened to expose the faction behind the initiative, reportedly linked to the radical Sharyan network close to Saeed Jalili.
Geopolitical Tensions and Domestic Fallout
This deepening political rift comes at a particularly sensitive juncture amid escalating military friction with the United States and growing tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. The situation has intensified the domestic debate in Tehran over whether to pursue a diplomatic settlement or continue with nuclear and military escalation.
Extremist factions are working simultaneously to weaken the executive branch through persistent political friction and pressure to enforce hijab laws, aiming to exhaust the government with internal crises.
Although there is no indication that the impeachment push commands the necessary majority to succeed, the incident underscores how bitter and overt the power struggle within the Iranian establishment has become.
