Now there is some real smoke around the idea that there is division in the Iranian delegation.
Iran state media reports that Ghalibaf is out for including nuclear in negotiations (translated):
According to information received by Iran International, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, head of the Islamic Republic’s negotiating delegation with U.S. representatives in Islamabad, has resigned and stepped down from membership in this delegation.Based on this information, Qalibaf has been reprimanded in the Islamic Republic for his efforts to include the nuclear energy issue as part of the negotiation axes with America, and has been forced to resign.According to Iran International’s information, the possibility of replacing Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf with Saeed Jalili at the head of the negotiating delegation has been raised, and Abbas Araghchi is also trying to take responsibility for the file of negotiations with America by stepping aside Ghalibaf.
This truly means the hardliners are in charge.
Yesterday, a report from Israel’s N12 about Ghalibaf leaving the negotiating team was published but it was denied aggressively.
Ghalibaf’s twitter also posted a coordinated message that was echoed by others that said:
In Iran, there are no radicals or moderates;
we are all “Iranian” and “revolutionary,” and with the iron unity of the
nation and government, with complete obedience to the Supreme Leader of
the Revolution, we will make the aggressor criminal regret his actions.
One God, one leader, one nation, and one path; that path being the path
to victory for Iran, dearer than life.
This development also gives credence and credibility to Trump’s repeated statements that they don’t know who is in charge in Iran and him suggesting infighting.
None of that is good, because it looks like the hardliners are in charge. We are also getting more reports that Iran dropped more mines this week.
Does any of this sound like a country that’s eager to make a deal?
This article was written by Adam Button at investinglive.com.