Iranian Hardliners Demand Official Withdrawal from US Deal and Military Escalation

Iranian conservative media are intensifying calls for a formal exit from the memorandum of understanding with the United States and preparing for broader confrontation. Kayhan, a regime-aligned newspaper, published an editorial urging Tehran to officially declare withdrawal from the agreement, accusing Washington of violating and rendering the deal "dead." The article advocates adopting a more aggressive stance, including military preparedness and expanding Iran's missile and drone target bank.

The editorial emphasizes the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, calling it Iran's "winning card" and asserting that Iran's national will, not US provocations, should determine its future. It also calls for a decisive military display and a direct presidential response to former US President Trump's rhetoric.

Meanwhile, political tensions are rising within Iran's parliament, particularly in the National Security Committee. The conservative newspaper Novin-e-Emdad reported a "political purge" after two prominent opponents of the memorandum were removed from leadership roles in the committee. Mahmoud Nabavian, former deputy chairman, and Ebrahim Rezaei, former spokesperson, were ousted due to their opposition to the agreement and ceasefire.

Their replacements are aligned with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, both supporters of the nuclear deal. The conservatives condemned the removals as a "dictatorship of the agreement," accusing the leadership of sidelining dissenters to consolidate power. Committee chairman Ebrahim Azizi remains in his position.

This internal struggle reflects growing divisions in Tehran over the future of Iran's foreign policy and its stance toward the United States, signaling potential escalation in rhetoric and military posture in the coming period.