Reports said Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian submitted a resignation letter, saying he had been excluded from running state affairs by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Iran government and pro-government outlets immediately moved to quell the claim, calling it "groundless."
Iran International reported on the 31st (local time), citing an anonymous source, that President Pezeshkian submitted an official resignation letter to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei that day. According to the report, President Pezeshkian said in the letter that "core power is under the complete control of a specific group of commanders within the Revolutionary Guard," and argued that he had been effectively excluded from the decision-making process.
The outlet said it was unclear whether the supreme leader would accept the resignation, analyzing that the account suggests a deep and unprecedented rift among the highest echelons of Iran's power. Iran International is a media outlet critical of the Iran government. Earlier, Iran International reported that the Revolutionary Guard had gradually curtailed the president's authority and effectively controlled the government's core functions, and that the Pezeshkian administration had faced difficulties in pursuing diplomatic talks and a Cabinet reshuffle.
The Iran side immediately denied it. Iran government Spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani wrote on her social media (SNS) X (formerly Twitter), "In difficult times like these, the Pezeshkian administration is working to resolve livelihood issues and address the problems facing the nation," effectively denying the resignation rumor. President Pezeshkian's aide Mehdi Tabatabaei also said on X, "Just as the people of Iran will not turn back from the path of solidarity and resistance, President Pezeshkian will not step back from serving the people."
Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency also reported, citing a senior government source, that "Iran International is a factory that produces lies about President Pezeshkian and others," and that "President Pezeshkian has not resigned and is performing his duties normally."