Iran's Assembly of Experts Faces Rare Public Rift Over Nuclear Negotiations and Leadership

A rare and public dispute has erupted within Iran's Assembly of Experts, the body responsible for appointing the Supreme Leader, revealing deep divisions at the highest levels of the Islamic Republic. The crisis began when over 60 of the 84 members issued a statement addressing the ongoing nuclear negotiations with the United States, the Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon, and tensions with the US and Israel. Although the Assembly typically avoids involvement in daily policy, the statement expressed support for Iran's negotiation team while warning against repeating past failures and emphasized strict adherence to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's red lines as a religious duty.

The statement also condemned any reopening of the Strait of Hormuz amid Israeli activities in Lebanon as a "strategic mistake" and asserted that Iran's nuclear rights should not be negotiable. One of the most severe points called for the assassination of those responsible for the killing of Ali Khamenei, naming US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and urged that anyone with access to them is religiously obligated to kill them.

Within hours, the Assembly's presidency and secretariat issued a rare retraction, criticizing the signatories for bypassing official procedures and reaffirming support for Mojtaba Khamenei's directives. They stated that official positions must be released only through formal channels such as the plenary, chairman, presidency, or secretariat, and that broader discussion was needed to maintain unity. This retraction sparked further controversy, with ultra-conservative factions, opposed to negotiations with Washington, accusing the leadership of undermining the Assembly's unity and questioning the erosion of trust in its handling of sensitive issues.

The initial statement is seen as aligned with hardline views opposing the nuclear talks, while the presidency's response sought to de-escalate tensions. The dispute highlights power struggles within Iran's top leadership over relations with the US, the negotiation process, and authority to define the Supreme Leader's red lines. Concurrently, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visited the religious city of Qom, signaling efforts by the government to shore up support from senior clerics amid the growing internal discord. This public confrontation is unusual for a body typically characterized by unity and silence, underscoring the intensity of the current political and ideological battles in Tehran.