Ghalibaf vs Jalili in Iran’s internal ‘power war’! Will Ayatollah’s power disintegrate?

The news coming from the corridors of power in Iran at this time is not of any major political event. Earthquake are not less than. The war between ‘hardliners’ and ‘moderates’ within the Islamic Republic has now moved from the streets to the most secure offices of Tehran. If reports are to be believed, there has been such a rift in Iran’s leadership regarding nuclear talks with America, which has worried the entire world. Is this the beginning of the end for the empire of Iran’s ‘Supreme Leader’? Or is this a new game to hold on to power?

If this is true and the reports coming out are to be believed, then this is not just a battle of leadership, but a battle of the direction in which Iran wants to move, whether towards agreement or confrontation. The biggest question is whether America is getting a strategic advantage from this internal tussle?

At the center of this entire controversy are two powerful personalities – Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and fundamentalist leader Saeed Jalili. Recently, Ghalibaf had led talks with US representatives in Islamabad, Pakistan, but as soon as he returned, the fundamentalist faction ‘Payadari’ attacked him. It is alleged that Ghalibaf has crossed the ‘red lines’ of new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mujtaba Khamenei by discussing the nuclear issue.

Hardline MP Mahmoud Nabavian, who was part of the negotiating team, openly said that the talks were only harmful to Iran and that including the nuclear program was a ‘strategic mistake’. At the same time, Jalili’s supporters claim that Ghalibaf is a ‘liberal’ who is bowing before the Western countries.

Then who is Saeed Jalili?

Return of the ‘Living Martyr’ Saeed Jalili’s name tops the list as Iran’s next ‘Nuclear Negotiator’. Jalili, 60, is called a ‘living martyr’ in Iran because he lost his right leg in the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. Jalili represents a stream of fundamentalism that is against any agreement with America. He was Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator between 2007 and 2013 and during his tenure the toughest sanctions were imposed on Iran. Jalili is considered an ‘inefficient negotiator’ who lectures on philosophy for hours but never reaches any conclusion.

Ghalibaf: ‘Pragmatic hardliner’ or shrewd politician?

On the other hand is Ghalibaf, who is called a ‘Pragmatic Hardliner’. He has been a former commander of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and mayor of Tehran. Ghalibaf has been facing serious allegations of corruption. He has even been called ‘Iran’s most corrupt commander’. While mayor, he faced accusations of selling valuable land in Tehran to his close associates at throwaway prices, but his close relationship with Supreme Leader Khamenei has always saved him. Ghalibaf believes that some degree of compromise with the West is necessary to save the regime.

‘Bait’: The mysterious force that runs Iran

The real power of Iran lies neither with the President nor with the Parliament. This power is confined within ‘Bait-e Rahbari’. It is a parallel government that has more than 4,000 employees and an empire worth billions of dollars. Khamenei’s son Mujtaba Khamenei works as the ‘Supreme Leader’ within this ‘Bet’. This office has control over Iran’s army (IRGC), economy and even people’s personal lives.

Economic disaster and sinking Iran: Iran is currently facing not only a political but also a severe economic crisis. Iran’s economy is dying due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. According to intelligence reports, Iran’s economy will not be able to tolerate this blockade for more than 6 to 8 weeks. Due to internet shutdown, 20% of the workforce has become unemployed and there is a danger of losing 20 lakh more jobs in the private sector.

The public’s anger and fear of a coup are growing. There is news that the Supreme National Security Council has held a secret meeting, in which it has warned that due to rising inflation and unemployment, there may be a public revolt. Security agencies are particularly fearful of the call by exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi. Earlier, there was horrific violence in the protests in January 2026, in which thousands of people were killed.

Will Ghalibaf become Iran’s ‘Khrushchev’?

Scholars are now comparing Ghalibaf with Soviet Union leader Nikita Khrushchev. Will he be able to reform the system to save it, or will the radicals oust him? Jalili’s possible appointment indicates that Iran will now choose the path of ‘resistance’ instead of compromise, which could lead it directly to war.