The Trump administration is concerned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could take action against Iran’s nuclear program without first securing approval from President Donald Trump, Axios reported citing a a US official.
Tensions are mounting among Iran's conservative factions as supporters of the Parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf and his ultra-hardline rivals engage in an escalating war of words ahead of a key leadership vote.
A vote for the parliament's presidium is due to be held on May 27 to chose the speaker, his two deputies and six secretaries. The officials are key to running parliament, managing its sessions and deciding what to put on its agenda.
In a social media post on Tuesday, pro-Ghalibaf journalist Mahdi Yamini accused lawmakers from the Paydari (Steadfastness) Party and its allies of plotting against Ghalibaf ahead of the vote.
“A group of Paydari Party lawmakers … have started moves and meetings to lay the groundwork and make preparations for a coup against Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf ... Power struggle to the very gates of hell...!!!” he declared.
Ultra-hardliners’ criticism of Ghalibaf has intensified following his transmission of the controversial Palermo legislation to President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration for enforcement on Wednesday.
The law, conditionally approved by the Expediency Council on May 14 after years of delay, enables Iran to join the Palermo Convention—a key step toward removing the country from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) black list.
Ultra-hardliners, often referred to as super-revolutionaries, oppose the move, arguing that compliance with FATF requirements would undermine Iran’s ability to support regional allies and bypass international sanctions.
“Signing off on the Palermo Act means exposing all the financial networks we've used to circumvent sanctions,” wrote hardline activist Hadi Naseh in a post on X.
They accuse Ghalibaf—who opposed the Palermo and Counter-Terrorism Financing (CTF) conventions in 2019—of hypocrisy and betraying the national interest.
“What do you think happened that (the Palermo legislation) is now considered to benefit (Iran)?” ultra-hardliner politician Ali-Akbar Raefipour asked in a post on X citing Ghalibaf’s previous objection to joining these conventions.
Ghalibaf’s supporters argue that he was legally obliged to send the legislation to the administration for enforcement regardless of his personal stance.
“Understanding this doesn’t require any special genius as it is an established fact, Ghalibaf supporter and a former ally of former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad posted on X.
'Law of Satan'
Despite the Supreme National Security Council's decision to temporarily postpone its implementation to avoid public backlash, ultra-hardliners have also condemned Ghalibaf for failing to forward a controversial new hijab enforcement law to the administration.
The legislation imposes harsh penalties—including fines and prison sentences—on women who fail to observe strict hijab rules and on businesses that do not enforce them.
"God's law is not enforced. The law of the Great Satan is enforced!" posted a fiery hijab advocate, Mehri Talebi-Darestani, on X.
Some Iranian media outlets such as Donya-ye Eghtesad predict another term as speaker for Ghalibaf despite the ultra-hardliners’ campaign against him.
Defeating ultra-hardliner Mojtaba Zolnouri, he won last year’s presidium vote with 198 out of 287 ballots. This was down from 234 in 2022 and 210 in 2023.
A hardliner who occasionally adopts pragmatic positions, Ghalibaf has served as speaker for five years but his grip on parliamentary leadership weakened after he fell behind three ultra-hardliner candidates in the March 2023 elections.
The former IRGC-commander won 447,000 votes in an elections marked by voter apathy, particularly in Tehran, where Mahmoud Nabavian became first with 597,000 votes out of a possible 7.7 miilon eligibles---the least for a Tehran frontrunner in all elections since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
Israeli strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer and Mossad chief David Barnea will meet White House envoy Steve Witkoff in Rome on Friday to discuss Iran’s nuclear program, Walla News reported citing two senior Israeli officials.
In recent days the assessment in the Israeli intelligence community regarding the nuclear talks has changed from thinking that an agreement is close, to the assessment that the talks could enter a crisis and even collapse in the near future, according to the report citing two Israeli sources.
The sources indicated that Israel is preparing to carry out a swift attack on Iran's nuclear facilities if the nuclear talks collapse in the coming weeks, the report added.
The Israeli military estimates that the window of opportunity for a successful attack on Iran may close soon, and therefore Israel will have to act quickly, the report said citing an Israeli source.
"Despite the hype and statements by US officials, as of Thursday, May 23—just one day before the fifth round of negotiations—Iran has not received any written proposal from the United States," the Revolutionary Guards-linked Fars news outlet wrote in an editorial on Thursday.
"The United States has repeatedly taken contradictory positions that have made it difficult to build trust in the negotiation process," it added.
"For example, while some American officials have spoken of being ready to negotiate without preconditions, others have set demands such as a complete halt to enrichment or an end to Iran’s missile program—conditions that contradict earlier US positions.
Several Tehran outlets defied a state-imposed ban on Wednesday by publishing commentary on ongoing nuclear talks with Washington, some striking an optimistic tone that diverged from the Supreme Leader’s skeptical message a day earlier.
In a speech on Tuesday, Ali Khamenei questioned the likelihood of a deal with the United States under President Donald Trump. Within hours, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council issued a directive prohibiting the country’s press from commenting on the negotiations.
Still, major reformist dailies Etemad and Sharq carried pieces backing the talks the next day—one commentator even letting his imagination sail into uncharted territory.
“Not only will Iran and the United States reach an agreement, but they will also pave the way for the reopening of the US embassy in Tehran and consulates in other Iranian cities,” former MP Esmail Gerami Moghaddam said in an interview with Etemad.
“Trump has never said Iran should stop enrichment—only that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons,” he asserted, arguing that Trump’s recent trade agreements with neighboring Arab nations prove he is not seeking escalation in the region.
Sharq’s editorial—titled Does Diplomacy Still Have a Chance?—was not as rosy, denouncing what it called Washington’s excessive demands.
“Iran does not want to participate in talks that collapse before they even begin,” it quoted an unnamed official as saying, arguing that the “zero enrichment” red line advanced by Trump and his team threatens Iran’s sovereignty.
Nevertheless, the editorial ended on a hopeful note that the talks would continue.
Sharq also quoted former nuclear negotiator Hossein Mousavian—now at Princeton University, where he faces a campaign by Iranian dissidents calling for his removal.
“These problems would not have arisen had there been more direct negotiations with the U.S.,” Mousavian told Sharq, accusing U.S. officials of posturing that, in his words, undermines trust.
This echoed Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who on Tuesday accused officials in Washington of leaking sensitive information and called for confidentiality.
In another piece, Sharq highlighted Qatar’s mediation efforts alongside Oman’s as a potential breakthrough. The duo’s involvement, it argued, could help establish a peaceful framework and restore regional stability.
“Qatar, as an experienced mediator, can build upon Oman’s initiatives,” the editorial said, noting that recent statements from Doha about bridging the gap between Washington and Tehran had raised hopes among diplomats.
By offering to mediate between Iran and the U.S., it concluded, Qatar is sending a clear message to President Trump: that his allies in the region prefer diplomacy over confrontation.
Yaron Lischinsky, one of two Israeli embassy employees killed in a shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, had publicly expressed solidarity with the Iranian people and participated in events supporting democracy in Iran.
Lischinsky, who served as a Middle East affairs advisor at the Israeli embassy in Washington, was killed alongside his fiancée, Sarah Lynn Milgrim, by a lone gunman who opened fire on a group leaving a diplomatic event on Wednesday night.
A suspect, identified by police as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, was taken into custody shortly afterward. Video footage shows him shouting "free free Palestine" after his arrest as police took him into custody.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that both victims were locally employed staff members who had been active in cross-cultural dialogue and reconciliation efforts.
In previous posts on the social media platform X, Lischinsky had voiced support for the people of Iran, distinguishing them from the Islamic Republic. In a Nowruz message last year, he wrote: "The people of Iran are not our enemies. We wish them all the best and hope that one day peace will return."
Lischinsky had also participated in a conference organized by the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI), a US-based advocacy group, where he was seen in photos alongside Iranian opposition figures. One image shared from the event included a flag bearing the historic Lion and Sun emblem of Iran.
The shooting occurred just over a mile from the White House and has been described by Israeli and US officials as a targeted act of violence. Security around Israeli diplomatic facilities worldwide has since been heightened.
Lischinsky, originally from Bavaria, Germany, was remembered by colleagues and community members as a committed and empathetic figure who worked to build bridges in the Middle East.
Authorities continue to investigate the motive behind the attack, with the FBI investigating possible hate crime or terrorism motives though no formal terrorism charges have been announced.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino wrote on X "Early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence. Our FBI team is fully engaged and we will get you answers as soon as we can, without compromising additional leads."
Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters, "We will not tolerate antisemitism ... the FBI's role, of course, as always when there is any possibility of a terrorist act, or acts motivated by hate or other bias, the FBI will be conducting those investigations."
The incident comes amid rising concerns about hate crimes linked to the Israel-Gaza conflict. Human rights groups have reported increased incidents of both antisemitic and anti-Arab violence in the United States since October 2023.