Grandson of “father of the revolution” Ali Khomeini’s accusation that negotiations with the United States amounted to treason reveals a dangerous struggle unfolding inside Iran’s ruling establishment.
The funeral of Ali Khamenei was meant to display unity, power, and continuity. Instead, the days following it are exposing widening cracks between those who negotiated the memorandum with Washington and hardliners who believe any compromise with America is a betrayal of the Islamic Revolution.
These accusations are not ordinary political criticism. In Iran, branding someone a traitor can become the first step toward dismissal, imprisonment, disappearance, or execution.
This struggle is especially dangerous because Iran has never operated as one unified power structure.