Iranian President Faces Fierce Backlash at Khamenei Funeral Amid Secret US Deal

Chaos erupted in Tehran during the funeral of Ali Khamenei on Monday, exposing deep divisions within Iran's Islamic regime. The event turned into a violent internal confrontation as hardline factions surrounded President Masoud Pashkian, shouting slogans such as "Death to the traitors," "Death to the compromisers," and "Death to the normalizers." This unrest followed the revelation of a secret agreement between Iran and the United States, which initiated formal negotiations and sparked outrage among regime hardliners.

President Pashkian, who advocates for compromise to prevent economic collapse, is seen by loyalists of Khamenei and extremist groups aligned with the Jalili camp as betraying the core values of the Islamic Revolution. The tension intensified with the publication of a letter attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei, the deceased leader's son and presumed successor. The letter reportedly shows Mojtaba's reservations about the US deal but states he allowed Pashkian to sign it after the president accepted full responsibility for its consequences.

During the funeral procession, extremist groups known as "Atash Be-Akhtiar" (Free Fire) aggressively confronted the president, while some Hezbollah members attempted to attack him but were stopped by his security detail. The violent scenes highlight the regime's internal crisis, with many hardliners fearing that rapprochement with the West could lead to their prosecution for past abuses, including torture and killing of protesters.

Meanwhile, opposition voices and the broader public express hope that this internal rift might lead to the regime's collapse. Tehran remains highly tense as the secret US-Iran agreement, intended to stabilize the country, instead unleashed the regime's most dangerous factions against its own leadership.