Ghalibaf’s Play Is to Box In Araghchi, Not Oust Him
Iran’s speaker is using crisis politics to narrow Abbas Araghchi’s room to bargain — a power struggle over who speaks for Tehran.
The immediate fight in Tehran is over control of diplomacy, not just personalities. A report highlighted by Hindustan Times says Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is looking to push out Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The stronger reading from other reporting is more specific: Ghalibaf is trying to subordinate the foreign ministry to a harder-line security channel he can shape, not necessarily remove Araghchi outright. As recently as April 17, Reuters reported that Ghalibaf and Araghchi were still traveling together as part of the same Iranian delegation from talks in Islamabad, which cuts against an imminent purge. 
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This is a fight over the file
AP reports that, after the latest military shock to Iran’s leadership, the Supreme National Security Council emerged as a central power hub and Ghalibaf became its public face and chief negotiator with the U.S. That matters because it shifts leverage away from the foreign ministry and toward a body where security actors carry more weight. Reuters separately reported on March 24 that IRGC influence over Iran’s negotiating stance had grown and that key decisions on any direct talks would lie with hard-line institutions, not just diplomats. 
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That makes this more than palace intrigue. It sits at the center of Iran’s external bargaining, a theme running across our 
international coverage and wider regional conflict tracking.
Who gains, who loses
Araghchi is not a disposable figure. Reuters described him on April 8 as potentially Iran’s most powerful foreign minister yet, and noted his role in negotiating the 2015 nuclear deal. If Ghalibaf succeeds in reducing Araghchi to messenger rather than strategist, the winners are the parliament-security bloc and the IRGC-aligned camp that wants tighter political control over concessions. The losers are Araghchi’s negotiating flexibility and the civilian lane around President Masoud Pezeshkian, whom AP describes as only a nominal head in a more security-dominated structure. Iran's Araqchi seen as country's most powerful foreign minister yet US-Israeli strikes didn't topple Iran's leadership. Now it must navigate talks to end the war
Parliament has already shown it can narrow the field. In July 2025, Reuters reported that Iran’s parliament ruled out resuming U.S. talks until Tehran’s preconditions were met, tying diplomacy to tougher institutional red lines. Iran parliament rules out resumption of US talks until preconditions are met
What to watch next
Watch the chain of command, not the gossip. If the next mediated contact again puts Ghalibaf at the table while Araghchi remains formally in office, Tehran is signaling a dual-track system in which the foreign minister speaks, but others decide. If parliament or the security council publicly resets terms on enrichment, security guarantees, or extra-nuclear issues, then Araghchi’s authority is being clipped in real time. No public date for the next decisive round is clear yet; the next delegation lineup will tell you more than any denial from Tehran. Exclusive: Iran negotiators, citing possible Israeli attack, got Pakistan escort home from peace talks Iran toughens negotiating stance amid mediation efforts, sources say
