Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has submitted his resignation to the office of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, complaining that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has effectively taken over large portions of the government and that the president and other high-ranking officials have been excluded from vital decision-making, London-based Iran International reported on Sunday.
An anonymous official told the outlet that Pezeshkian's letter said he was unable to run the government or fulfil his responsibilities under the current circumstances. The primary source of friction between Pezeshkian and the IRGC head was "the way the war was managed and its destructive consequences on the people's livelihoods and the country's economy," the official said.
The Iranian government swiftly denied the reports. Elias Hazrati, head of the government's information committee, issued a statement late on Sunday saying the claims of the president's resignation were "completely false" and that Pezeshkian was fully focused on handling national affairs as usual.
Last week, US officials revealed that Mojtaba is hidden in a secret location with little access to the outside world, only reachable through a labyrinth of couriers. Even the highest officials in the Iranian government are unaware of his location and cannot directly contact him, officials said.
