Iran International
Allegations of a “shadow government” meddling in Iran’s foreign policy have reignited concerns about the country’s diplomatic direction, just as high-stakes nuclear talks with the West hang in the balance.
The term—now increasingly invoked in political discourse—refers to an unofficial power network believed to influence key decisions behind the scenes, beyond the authority of the Foreign Ministry.
In an unsigned commentary on Tuesday, the conservative Jomhouri Eslami newspaper accused the ministry of failing to assert control over foreign policy, blaming Tehran’s limited success on interference from shadow actors.
“Those whose heavy shadow over the 2015 nuclear deal and many negotiations caused irreparable damage continue to dictate terms in foreign policy, especially in the realm of negotiations,” it wrote.
The piece warned that such interference, “under the very sensitive current circumstances, is more dangerous than deadly poison.”
Jalili in the Crosshairs
Although no names were mentioned, Iranian media widely interpreted the remarks as targeting ultra-hardliner Saeed Jalili and his circle of allies in the Paydari Party.
Jalili, who lost the 2024 presidential election to Masoud Pezeshkian, previously served as Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator during the years leading up to 2010, when multiple rounds of UN sanctions were imposed on Tehran.
He remains a trusted figure for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, serving as his representative to the Supreme National Security Council and sitting on both the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations and the Expediency Discernment Council.
A day after the Jomhouri Eslami piece, the IRGC-affiliated Javan newspaper hit back.
“If this alleged shadow government truly exists, why doesn’t Jomhouri Eslami reveal its leaders and operators?” it asked. “And if the claim is entirely false, why doesn’t the public prosecutor step in? Is the reputation of the Islamic Republic to be handed out freely to whoever wishes to exploit it?”
Sanctions looming, stakes rising
The controversy underscores growing divisions over Iran’s foreign policy direction following the 12-day war with Israel.
Moderates are calling for serious diplomacy and a renewed effort to reach agreements with the US and Europe. Hardliners, meanwhile, accuse them of appeasement and advocate for a more confrontational approach.
With the return of UN sanctions looming under the nuclear deal’s snapback provision, Tehran has warned European governments it may pull out of the Non-Proliferation Treaty in retaliation—threatening a complete breakdown in diplomatic engagement.
