Pezeshkian, Ghalibaf seek Araghchi’s ouster over 'subservience' to Guards
Iran's president and parliament speaker are seeking Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s removal, accusing him of following the Revolutionary Guard chief’s instructions in nuclear talks without informing the president, two sources familiar with the matter told Iran International.
President Masoud Pezeshkian and Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf believe Araghchi has in recent weeks acted less as a cabinet minister tasked with implementing government policy and more as an aide to Ahmad Vahidi, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, the sources said.
According to the sources who are familiar with ongoing discussions between the heads of Iran's executive and legislative branches, Araghchi has acted over the past two weeks without informing Pezeshkian, in full coordination with Vahidi and based on his directives.
The situation has caused deep dissatisfaction for Pezeshkian, who has told people close to him that he will dismiss Araghchi if it continues, the sources added.
Iran's president and parliament speaker are seeking Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s removal, accusing him of following the Revolutionary Guard chief’s instructions in nuclear talks without informing the president, two sources familiar with the matter told Iran International.
President Masoud Pezeshkian and Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf believe Araghchi has in recent weeks acted less as a cabinet minister tasked with implementing government policy and more as an aide to Ahmad Vahidi, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, the sources said.
According to the sources who are familiar with ongoing discussions between the heads of Iran's executive and legislative branches, Araghchi has acted over the past two weeks without informing Pezeshkian, in full coordination with Vahidi and based on his directives.
The situation has caused deep dissatisfaction for Pezeshkian, who has told people close to him that he will dismiss Araghchi if it continues, the sources said.
Reports of divisions among Islamic Republic officials had previously emerged. On March 28, reports pointed to serious disagreements between Pezeshkian and Vahidi, the Revolutionary Guards commander who is now said to be the most powerful figure in the force.
Informed sources told Iran International at the time that the dispute stemmed from “the handling of the war and its destructive consequences for people’s livelihoods and the country’s economy.”
Three days later, Iran International received reports that Pezeshkian was frustrated at being placed in a “complete political deadlock” and that he had even been stripped of the authority to appoint replacements for government officials killed during the war.
According to that report, Vahidi is said to have explicitly declared that, because of the critical wartime situation, all key and sensitive managerial posts must, until further notice, be directly selected and run by the Revolutionary Guards.
Ghalibaf-led negotiations
On April 27, a group of lawmakers aligned with hardline politician Saeed Jalili declined to sign a parliamentary statement backing Iran’s negotiating team led by Ghalibaf, despite broad support from 261 other MPs.
The statement expressed confidence in the negotiating delegation. However, several prominent hardline figures—including Mahmoud Nabavian, Mohammad Taghi Naqadali, Morteza Aghatehrani, Amirhossein Sabeti, Hamid Rasaei, Ruhollah Izadkhah and Meysam Zohourian—did not sign the statement.
Nabavian was one of the members of the Iranian delegation led by Ghalibaf who attended the first round of Islamabad talks with the United States.
Three days before the statement was published, Iran International reported, citing informed sources in Iran, that Ghalibaf had resigned as head of Iran's negotiating team after being reprimanded over efforts to include the nuclear energy issue in talks.
That report said Araghchi, ahead of his latest trip to Pakistan to deliver the Islamic Republic’s message to Pakistani officials, was seeking to take over leadership of the negotiations following Ghalibaf’s departure.
Araghchi finally visited Islamabad on April 24 alone and handed over Tehran's proposal, which was later rejected by the US president, according to media reports.
Australia condemned Iranian government's acts of violence and intimidation, as well as an internet shutdown meant to "conceal the scale of its brutality," a foreign ministry spokesperson told Iran International on Thursday.
“The Australian Government has been consistent in its condemnation of the Iranian regime’s acts of violence and intimidation, including the use of telecommunications blackouts in an attempt to conceal the scale of its brutality,” the spokesperson said .
Australia expelled Iran’s ambassador and three other diplomats in August 2025 over Iran-directed attacks against the Australian community, and has sanctioned more than 220 Iran-linked people and entities.
It has also designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guards as a state sponsor of terrorism, and suspended operations of the Australian Embassy in Tehran.
New Zealand’s foreign ministry also told Iran International on Thursday that Iranians had the right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression and access to information.
Iran's football chief Mehdi Taj, once a commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was sent back from Canada just hours after landing, according to a government source who spoke to Iran International.
Taj and two accompanying individuals left the country at 10:05 p.m. Tuesday, suggesting he was allowed to land but was subsequently questioned by Canadian authorities before being sent back, a source familiar with the matter told Iran International.
The immigration ministry commented only after Taj’s departure, declining to name him, citing privacy laws, and stating that individuals linked to the IRGC are not welcome in Canada—despite having granted him special permission to enter.
His brief presence came after Iran International’s exclusive report revealed that Taj had been granted a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP), a special authorization that can override inadmissibility under Canadian law.
That report quickly drew political reaction in Ottawa.
Leo Housakos, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate of Canada, pressed the government on Tuesday over Taj’s entry, citing Iran International’s reporting.
“Your government can't seem to show the IRGC the door, but it can find a way to roll out the welcome mat and receive him. Leader, why is your government still unable or unwilling to enforce Canada's terrorism-related inadmissibility rules? What's the point of listing the IRGC if you're not serious about throwing him out of our country,” Housakos said.
Canada designated the IRGC as a terrorist entity in 2024, a move that allows authorities to freeze assets and can affect the admissibility of individuals with ties to the group.
Taj had been expected to travel to Vancouver to attend the FIFA Congress on April 30, hosted at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
A diaspora group had also planned a protest outside the venue, reflecting growing anger among Iranian-Canadians over the report of an Islamic Republic official with ties to the IRGC.
Taj began his career as an intelligence commander in the IRGC in Isfahan following the 1979 revolution, where IRGC intelligence units were tasked with monitoring internal dissent, including among Kurdish populations.
His sudden departure now raises fresh questions—about how he was granted entry in the first place.
Many Canadians are questioning how someone deemed inadmissible under the country’s own terrorism-related laws could have been offered an exemption or special permission to enter at all.
Canada’s immigration ministry said on Wednesday that IRGC officials are inadmissible to the country, responding to Iran International regarding Mehdi Taj, the president of Iran’s football federation.
“The government has been clear and consistent: IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada and have no place in our country,” it said.
The ministry said it could not comment on individual cases because of privacy laws, but added that visa applications for FIFA World Cup-related events are assessed case by case by trained officers.
“We have taken strong action to hold the IRGC to account and will continue to do so, while protecting the safety of Canadians and upholding the integrity of our immigration system,” it added.
Mehdi Taj, the IRGC-linked president of Iran’s football federation, was not allowed into Canada after arriving for this week’s FIFA Congress and later left the country, Iran International has learned.
Taj and two companions departed Canada at 10:05 p.m. local time on Monday.
Iran International had earlier reported that Canadian authorities had granted Taj a Temporary Resident Permit, allowing him to enter under strict conditions despite being otherwise inadmissible.
It remains unclear whether the permit was revoked upon arrival or whether authorities denied him entry following additional review or objections.
