Citing mediator countries, the Wall Street Journal reports that Iranian negotiators are openly acknowledging their limited ability to shape outcomes and are under heavy pressure to secure immediate economic gains. The report adds that the IRGC, praised domestically for recent anti-US operations, is signaling it could resume attacks on commercial shipping if a deal does not yield sufficient profits, and that mediators have expanded talks to include major sanctions relief. Meanwhile, supporters of the agreement within Iran's leadership, including President Pezeshkian, are struggling to secure a meeting with Supreme Leader Khamenei, with Pezeshkian reportedly threatening to resign to underscore the urgency.
The Wall Street Journal reported Friday evening, citing unnamed officials from mediator countries, that Iranian negotiators are now openly speaking about their limited power to shape the outcome of the talks and admitting they are under intense pressure to secure immediate economic benefits. The report indicates that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is being praised in Iran for its recent actions against the United States and is signaling that it could renew attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz if the eventual agreement does not generate sufficient profits.
According to the WSJ, the mediators have expanded the scope of discussions beyond a temporary deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to include broader measures to ease Iran's economic hardship. These include exemptions from sanctions allowing Iran to export oil and the release of frozen Iranian assets, as outlined in the memorandum of understanding signed between Washington and Tehran earlier this year, which has since been frozen.
The report also highlights deepening internal political friction in Tehran. Supporters of the diplomatic track within the Iranian leadership have been unable to secure a meeting with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. President Masoud Pezeshkian has reportedly threatened to resign in order to obtain a meeting with Khamenei and impress upon him the severity of the economic crisis, arguing that a political agreement has become an urgent necessity.
The Zioneer has previously reported on the IRGC's consistent opposition to the diplomatic track, with senior commanders framing the negotiations as a position of strength and warning of preemptive strikes if talks fail. The IRGC has also been reported to have placed commanders on Hezbollah's leadership council, deepening its control over regional proxies. The current report from the WSJ suggests that the internal divide between Iran's civilian government and its military establishment is widening as the economic pressure mounts.
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