Military coup or unshakable union? Understand the war of narratives over who is in charge in Iran

AI accelerates meme war between the US and Iran In the midst of a ceasefire that has lasted two weeks, Iran and the United States are fighting a new war: that of narratives. While the American president talks about division in the Iranian leadership, Tehran says the country is united and accuses opponents of promoting false propaganda. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp LIVE: Follow the latest news on the war On Tuesday (21), US President Donald Trump stated that Iran’s government is “seriously fragmented” and, therefore, would suspend attacks on the country until Iranian leaders present a unified proposal in the peace negotiations. In the following days, Trump insisted on the topic. On Thursday (23), he said on a social network that Iran was facing difficulties in defining who the country’s leader was. “They simply don’t know! The internal fight between the ‘hardliners’, who have been losing UGLY on the battlefield, and the ‘moderates’, who are not so moderate (but are gaining respect!), is CRAZY!”, he published. 👉 Trump’s statements are in line with information gathered by the American press with members of the Iranian regime’s leadership. On Thursday, The New York Times published a report claiming that Revolutionary Guard generals are running the country. The power crisis in Iran began shortly after the start of the war, on February 28, when a joint US-Israeli attack killed the then supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In an attempt to demonstrate unity and agility, in less than 10 days Iran announced that Mojtaba Khamenei, the Ayatollah’s son, had been chosen as the new supreme leader. On the other hand, Mojtaba was also injured in the attack and remains under medical care, despite being lucid. A month after being appointed, he has yet to make any public appearances or release any videos, audios or images. Mojtaba is in a secret location to recover and has only made written statements, published on social media and in the state press. According to the NYT, the Iranian leader wants to avoid appearing vulnerable and may need plastic surgery to repair injuries to his face. According to the newspaper, Mojtaba participates in government discussions, but it is members of the Revolutionary Guard who have been making the main decisions on security, war and diplomacy issues. The Revolutionary Guard has always played a central role in the Iranian regime. The members are classified as “hardliners” and, according to the New York Times, believe they can defeat the United States and Israel in war. On the other side are the more moderates, who are part of the so-called civil government. This group includes President Masoud Pezeshkian — who defended rapprochement with the US when he was elected — and Chancellor Abbas Araghchi. According to the newspaper, this wing was relegated to internal decisions. A sign of this division became public on Saturday (18), when Araghchi announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The statement was criticized and disapproved by a state agency linked to the Revolutionary Guard, which classified it as “in extremely bad taste”. At the same time, Araghchi lost ground in peace negotiations with the USA. Instead, Iran began to appoint the president of Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a former general of the Revolutionary Guard, as the main negotiator. On Thursday, the Israeli TV network C14 stated that Revolutionary Guard generals had carried out a “silent military coup” and isolated the supreme leader, who had lost executive powers. Iranian reaction Ceremony in Tehran marks 40 days since the death of Ali Khamenei, on April 9, 2026 Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters Officially, Iran denies having a fragmented government. As soon as Trump began to assert that the country did not have a defined leader, the state press and members of the leadership began to defend unity and accuse “enemies” of propaganda. 1️⃣ On Wednesday (22), Seyyed Mehdi Tabatabaei, deputy of the communications area of ​​the Iranian president’s office, said that allegations of disagreement and division between the country’s main authorities were false. In a statement released by PressTV, a broadcaster linked to the regime, he stated that the narrative of disunity is “part of a well-planned political and propaganda game by Iran’s enemies.” According to Tabatabaei, there is “incomparable and exemplary” unity and consensus. “Instead of fabricating lies, they should stop breaking promises, practicing intimidation and hypocrisy. The door to negotiations based on justice, dignity and rationality remains open.” In the following hours, the station continued publishing messages about national unity. In a post on Telegram, in English, on Thursday, PressTV stated that Iran would have “all the cards” in its hands. The country is “victorious on the battlefield, internally united and armed with non-negotiable strategic assets, which allows it to dictate terms and seek concessions from the enemy”, says the publication. 2️⃣ Supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei also released a message to the same effect. He praised the “extraordinary unity” among Iranians and stated that it is the “enemy” that faces fissures. “The enemy’s media operation, by targeting the mind and psychology of the population, seeks to harm national unity and security. Let us not allow this evil intention to materialize through carelessness,” he said. 3️⃣ Later, it was the Iranian president’s turn to speak out on social media. On X, Masoud Pezeshkian stated that there are no “hardliners” or “moderates” in the country, in response to Trump’s statements. “We are all Iranians and revolutionaries. With unshakable unity between nation and state and obedience to the Supreme Leader, we will make the aggressor repent.” VIDEOS: most watched on g1

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