A Tussle Is Brewing In Iran’s Political Landscape. Peace Is An Option For Some.
A section of Iran’s leading political figures are of the view that Tehran is in an advantageous position against Washington in the Middle East conflict, The Wall Street Journal reported.
They also think this is the opportune time to cash in on this perceived advantage by probably holding talks to end the war, an approach that is starkly opposite to the defiant posture adopted by hardliners in the Iranian establishment.
Hardliners in Iran are in favor of prolonging the war, according to international media reports.
The WSJ cited recent comments by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to drive home the claim that the moderate elements in Iran’s political leadership think that after focussing on ending the war, the country needs to resuscitate its ailing economy, according to the WSJ report.
The report also assumes significance as it comes amid the Trump administration’s moves to choke Iran financially. US President Donald Trump had on Wednesday announced a “most crushing economic operation” against Iran, indicating that any country whose institutions facilitate business or trade with Tehran would face “tremendous economic consequences”. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also echoed Trump, saying the fresh sanctions regime is aimed to “collapse” Iran.
“The war must come to an end at some point,” Iran’s President Pezeshkian was quoted as saying on Friday by Iranian state-backed media outlets. “It is better that we demonstrate our strength and dignity today and tell the world that we have won and that we are ending the war,” he said.
Pezeshkian’s comments are also interpreted as reflective of the exhaustion the protracted war has caused on Iran’s economy. The moderate elements in Iranian establishment may not be averse to the idea of somehow putting an end to the conflict and turning the Islamic Republic’s attention towards rebuilding the nation, rather than prolonging a conflict which may not through up a clear winner.
International media reports have also indicated a similar growing unease with the Middle East conflict in the US in general and within Donald Trump’s MAGA base in particular.
The political fortunes of the Trump-led Republican administration may also be plummeting, according to a series of polls.
Trump’s ratings have also nosedived as what was envisaged as a brief war is now nearing its sixth month. The US-Israeli strikes on Iran that spurred the latest conflict in the Middle East started on February 28.
The WSJ report said war has heaped misery on Iran’s economy and battered its currency, making it an extremely difficult proposition for ordinary Iranians to even manage their daily affairs.
Hence the moderate faction in Iran is of the view that prolonging the war will undermine the country’s stability.
Parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf chose to camouflage his words of caution, and did not dare to directly urge an end to the conflict. Such a move would have enraged Iran’s hardliners, including the elite Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The radical elements in the Iranian establishment had recently advocated a tougher stance for the reopening of the contentious Strait of Hormuz.
“No matter how much military power we have, if our people are struggling and the country lacks financial circulation and economic growth, we will not achieve progress,” Ghalibaf said. “As someone who has experienced war, we understand the true value of peace.”
The reported divergent views of the moderate and hardline factions controlling Iran’s political establishment also comes as Tehran also attempts to portray the proposed new sanctions as an assault on the sovereignty of United Nations member states.
