Iran's political factions are increasingly invoking the name of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to attack rivals and shore up their own standing, even as doubts remain about whether he is genuinely exercising governing authority, according to Iran experts. The dispute matters because it exposes deepening rifts at the top of Iran's leadership at a time of mounting external pressure, including reports that President Masoud Pezeshkian has submitted a resignation letter and ongoing tension with the United States over Iran's nuclear programme and actions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Two reports from Iran International detail claims that senior cleric Mohammad-Bagher Kharrazi, a relative of the Khamenei family by marriage, alleged that Pezeshkian had repeatedly threatened to resign. The unfolding power struggle comes amid a wider period of instability for Tehran, with Fox News separately reporting attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, cyberattacks targeting US water systems attributed to Iranian actors, and warnings from President Trump that Iran has a "last chance" to reach a deal over its nuclear ambitions.