Iran hardliners decry US ceasefire deal as soft coup
Following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his funeral in Tehran turned into a flashpoint for Iran’s hard‑line factions. Protesters in black chanted slogans such as “death to the compromiser” and hurled stones at President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, forcing the minister to flee the ceremony. Hard‑liners, including MP Mahmoud Nabavian, accused the leaders who negotiated the recent cease‑fire and sanctions‑relief agreement with the United States of America of orchestrating a “soft coup” against the revolutionary ideals of the Islamic Republic and the authority of the newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who remains largely unseen.
In parallel, Tehran announced it would suspend its commitments under the US‑Iran memorandum, claiming repeated American violations, while U.S. Central Command reported new air raids on Iranian targets in the Gulf and the killing of two U.S. service members in Jordan. The dual narrative underscores a deepening internal power struggle in Iran and an escalating regional conflict between Tehran and Washington.