Iran International:

Behrouz Turani

Tehran’s catalogue of political feuds appears to have grown with the dwindling presence of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei following the June war with Israel—a trend that, Iranian scholars warn, could push a country already rife with discontent to the brink.

Khamenei, long the ultimate arbiter among rival factions, has been seen in public only a few times since Israeli strikes killed his most senior commanders.

His absence—coupled with a pervasive sense of imminent crisis—has sharpened long-standing rivalries among factions that now see it as more urgent than ever to position themselves for an inevitable post-Khamenei era.

Tensions between former security chief Ali Shamkhani and ex-president Hassan Rouhani’s camps have grown so fierce that the IRGC-linked daily Javan urged both sides to “declare a ceasefire.”

Earlier this month, Shamkhani accused Rouhani of knowing immediately that the Ukrainian airliner was downed by IRGC missiles in 2020, despite his claims of learning about it days later.

Last Friday, a video appeared on social media from the wedding of Shamkhani’s daughter, which was far from Islamic standards promoted by Iran’s establishment, leading many to say it was Rouhani’s response.

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