Araghchi faces impeachment threat as IRGC demands stronger guarantees and financial concessions before reopening strategic waterway
TEHRAN: Iran’s negotiations over reopening the Strait of Hormuz have exposed growing divisions within Tehran’s leadership, with Iranian negotiators reportedly warning Arab mediators that they cannot guarantee any agreement will survive domestic opposition.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf initially supported a proposal separating Hormuz traffic into inbound and outbound lanes. However, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps subsequently demanded explicit recognition of Iran’s authority, transit payments and guarantees covering sanctions and the blockade.
Moreover, mediators said Iranian negotiators have increasingly acknowledged limits on their authority while facing pressure to secure immediate economic benefits from any agreement.
The IRGC, meanwhile, has reportedly received domestic praise for maintaining pressure on Washington. Mediators were also warned that attacks on shipping could resume if Tehran considers the eventual agreement financially inadequate.
Hardliners challenge reopening of Hormuz
Opposition has also emerged publicly. Kayhan, an influential hardline newspaper whose supervisor is appointed by the supreme leader, argued that reopening Hormuz would amount to providing an “escape route for the enemy.”
The statement suggests influential security factions increasingly view control over the strategic waterway as an instrument of leverage rather than simply a negotiating concession.
Araghchi faces growing impeachment pressure
Meanwhile, lawmaker Hossein-Ali Haji Deligani said he was collecting documentation to pursue Araghchi’s impeachment, accusing the foreign minister of failing to submit a potential Hormuz agreement for parliamentary approval.
Political tensions have also intensified around President Masoud Pezeshkian’s government. A relative of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei by marriage reportedly called for demonstrations against the administration before Khamenei’s office publicly distanced itself from the remarks.
Furthermore, uncertainty surrounding Khamenei has complicated decision-making. He has made no public appearance since March, while Araghchi reportedly says he has never met him.
Consequently, the dispute increasingly reflects a broader struggle over whether diplomacy or continued control of Hormuz should define Iran’s strategy toward Washington.
🚨🇮🇷 Iran's own negotiators are warning mediators they cannot guarantee a deal will hold, and one of them is facing impeachment for trying…
-Arab mediators say Araghchi and Ghalibaf embraced the plan to split Hormuz into inbound and outbound lanes, then the Revolutionary Guard… pic.twitter.com/HTMBX3goqU
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 7, 2026
