Iran: As economic problems mount during the war, political conflicts deepen

Hardliners have increased pressure on the Iranian government and are calling for the dismissal of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The oil minister has resigned, but this does little to ease the pressure on President Masoud Pezeshkian.

With the intensification of economic problems, the political conflicts in Iran deepen

14/10/2026 October 14, 2026 The extremists have intensified the pressure on the Iranian government and demand the dismissal of Abbas Araghchi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The oil minister has resigned, but that does little to ease the pressure on President Masoud Mezikian.

The hardliners are putting pressure on the Iranian government and want the removal of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The resignation of Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad also could not reduce the pressure on President Masoud Bizikian.

As the war continues and diplomatic efforts are made to find a solution, the internal power struggle escalates. The president's government is the center of growing tension.

Hardliners in Iran's parliament are seeking the impeachment of Araghchi. The trigger of this dissatisfaction was Araghchi's meeting with American negotiators on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Critics accuse the foreign minister of conducting these negotiations without official authorization.

Amirhossein Sabeti, the representative of the people of Tehran, in a letter to Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Speaker of the Islamic Council, informed about the registration of Araghchi's impeachment plan on the internet portal of the Parliament. Hossein Ali Haji Deligani, a member of the parliament, also said that the parliament can use its supervisory powers, including the impeachment process.

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"When the regime is forced to negotiate, as Astali Afshari, a political analyst living in the United States, told DW: In the circumstances and in the conversation with the United States, the supreme leader or the radical core of power avoids accepting responsibility and transfers it to elected institutions and moderate forces within the government.

Afshari said hardliners could use this approach to attack moderate factions on decisions that had already been agreed upon in the power apparatus.

He added that extremists have an important task in the Islamic Republic.

He said: The role of extremists in the Islamic Republic is to influence public opinion, the traditional supporters of the political system and the values of the Islamic Republic in domestic and foreign politics.

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Hardliners held the parliamentary majority during the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 nuclear deal, and declared their political opposition. Their resistance, however, ultimately did not affect the signing of the contract.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not the decision-maker. Afshari said: The government implements what it wants and Araghchi acts in this framework.

Legislators must first collect a certain number of signatures to move forward with the impeachment process.

The timing of the last action is important: the Iranian government finds itself under enormous economic pressure. Meanwhile, oil exports, which are one of the country's key sources of income, have been drastically reduced as a result of the US blockade.

The resignation of Paknejad, the oil minister, adds to the pressure. He officially resigned for personal reasons.

Amoud Shukri, energy strategist, geopolitical analyst and energy security expert, doubts that the change at the head of the Ministry of Oil will change the situation. Shokri said that Iran relies on networks that allow it to export oil despite the sanctions. Opaque structures are entrenched, making it harder for the government to control key revenue streams.

He said that circumventing sanctions has become a lucrative business for certain factions within Iran's political system.

"According to the law, these revenues should be under government control. But we know this has not been the case for years," Shokri said.

He added: Economic opacity has deepened during the period of sanctions under the pretext of national security and protection of the people.

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Private actors with close ties to the country's power centers, especially the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), have developed methods to sell oil to the armed forces through hidden channels. Neither the prices nor the commissions received or the total amounts involved are transparent.

"The government has only a limited influence on these transactions. The IRGC especially organizes and controls such transactions," Shokri said.

Analysts have warned that the political and economic situation may worsen in the coming days and weeks.

This article was originally published in German.