Iran hardliners claim soft coup after US ceasefire

Iran is facing a deepening internal power struggle as hardline factions publicly accuse the country's leadership of staging a "soft coup" following a ceasefire agreement with the United States, with tensions erupting during the funeral of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei last week.

During the state funeral in Tehran, President Masoud Pezeshkian was met with chants of "death to the compromiser" from sections of the crowd as he walked alongside Khamenei's coffin. Separately, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, a key negotiator of the U.S. deal, was forced to flee the ceremony after being pelted with rocks by mourners who denounced him as a "traitorous sellout."

The hostility reflects a narrative advanced by Iran's most radical elements, who allege that officials who negotiated the agreement with the Trump administration are orchestrating a takeover while the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, remains out of public view. Mojtaba Khamenei, the son and successor of Ali Khamenei, has not addressed the nation or made significant public appearances since assuming the role, with officials citing security concerns. Some critics have speculated about his health, though this has not...