Iran arrests several people over alleged cooperation with foreign media

Competing factions inside Iran, particularly the growing influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, are complicating mediation efforts with the United States, the New York Post reported on Friday, citing sources familiar with the negotiations.

The report said Iranian political officials, including the president and foreign minister, remain involved in diplomacy, but sources claimed the IRGC ultimately holds the power to accept or reject any agreement.

One source cited by the report said the war had strengthened the IRGC’s position inside Iran, giving hardline factions an interest in prolonging the conflict.

According to the report, mediators remain concerned that delays and internal divisions inside Iran could complicate efforts to reach a broader agreement with Washington.

Conservative commentator Mark Levin warned on Fox on Friday that Iran’s leadership would eventually resume its nuclear ambitions despite any agreement with the United States.

Levin said he was concerned future US administrations, particularly Democratic ones, might not enforce any deal reached with Tehran.

"This is a rigid, ideological regime. It’s not like a typical communist or fascist regime. It is a radical Islamist regime, and they believe their actions are divinely directed. People need to understand this is not a traditional nation-state regime—it is a revolutionary regime. By that, I mean their ideology drives them to expand and dominate. So they’re not going to give up nuclear ambitions permanently. Even if they say they will, at some point they will return to it. That has been the pattern over the last 47 years, and I think history shows that clearly," Levin said.

Mazaher Hosseini, a senior official in the office of Iran’s Supreme Leader, said Mojtaba Khamenei suffered minor injuries in a February 28 airstrike but is now in “full health” and dismissed reports of a serious head injury as “lies."

US President Donald Trump said the administration could take a different approach on Iran if agreements are not reached, referring to a potential expansion of “Project Freedom."

“We’ll go a different route if everything doesn’t get signed up, buttoned up… We may go back to Project Freedom if things don’t happen — but it’ll be Project Freedom Plus, meaning Project Freedom plus other things," Trump said.

Experts cited in a Fox News report said on Friday a large oil slick detected near Iran’s Kharg Island may be linked to operational strain in the country’s oil export system, with satellite images showing a spread of oil in the Persian Gulf.

Other experts said ageing infrastructure and the use of older vessels for storage or transport could also be contributing factors. The exact cause of the slick has not been independently confirmed.