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Bazhikian Denies Resignation, Affirms He Will Remain in Office
Iranian President Masoud Bazhikian denied today, Tuesday, that he has resigned and affirmed he will remain in his post. He told a televised interview to be broadcast by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting: "If I submitted my resignation, I would officially announce that I have resigned."
Bazhikian’s denial follows a statement by Mohammad Baqer Kharazi, secretary-general of Iran's Hezbollah party, who earlier said Bazhikian had resigned or threatened to resign 28 times, and that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had warned publicly that if Bazhikian resigned again he would accept the resignation.
Speculation increased after reports claiming Bazhikian submitted a formal resignation in protest at the marginalization of the government and the erosion of presidential powers, while he has repeatedly called for changes in governance and broader participation in decision-making. In June, the opposition site Iran International quoted a source saying Bazhikian sent a resignation letter to the Supreme Leader’s office, alleging hardline factions within the Revolutionary Guard controlled key levers of state decision-making. The presidential office promptly denied those reports at the time, saying Bazhikian had not resigned and would continue serving the Iranian people.
These developments come amid earlier Western reports of divisions within the Iranian system over stalled negotiations with the United States to end the war.
