Iran's Pezeshkian submits resignation letter to Khamenei: report

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has reportedly submitted a resignation letter to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's office, citing his inability to govern effectively while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has effectively taken over large portions of the government, according to a report by Iran International on Sunday. Anonymous officials told the outlet that the letter emphasized Pezeshkian and other high-ranking civilian officials had been cut out of vital decision-making processes, leaving him unable to fulfill his constitutional responsibilities. An official from Iran's presidential office, however, dismissed the reports as false, calling them "wishful thinking" published by a disreputable foreign network. The reported resignation, if confirmed, would highlight a widening power struggle between Iran's elected civilian government and military-security factions. According to sources cited by Iran International, the primary source of disagreement between Pezeshkian and IRGC leadership centers on "the way the war was managed and its destructive consequences on the people's livelihoods and the country's economy." The conflict comes amid ongoing regional tensions, with US officials revealing separately that Khamenei is currently hidden in a secret location accessible only through a complex network of couriers, with even the highest Iranian officials unable to contact him directly. Pezeshkian's reported resignation would represent a rare acknowledgment from within Iran's leadership structure that the country's elected institutions operate with severely limited authority. Critics have long argued that ultimate power rests with the Supreme Leader, the IRGC, and the security establishment rather than with elected officials. Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed by the Assembly of Experts following the death of his father, former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US and Israeli strikes on February 28, 2026. Whether the resignation will be accepted or officially confirmed remains unclear, as Iranian officials have previously disputed reports circulated by Iran International.