Iran Leadership Splits Over U.S. Talks as New Strikes Deepen Cease-Fire Rift
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 8
Iran Leadership Splits Over U.S. Talks as New Strikes Deepen Cease-Fire Rift
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 8
Summary
New U.S. strikes on Wednesday and President Donald Trump’s doubts about the cease-fire sharpened an already growing split inside Iran over whether to keep negotiating with Washington.
Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s president, stayed in the camp favoring talks but accused the United States of “bullying rivals, creating obstacles and cheating,” signaling support for diplomacy alongside claims Washington broke the truce.
A minority hard-line faction has turned its anger on Pezeshkian and the negotiating team, intensifying pressure on officials who back a deal with the United States.
Five cities in Iran and Iraq are hosting the weeklong funeral for slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the ceremonies have become the backdrop for the internal power struggle as his body moves from Najaf back to Mashhad for burial.