Rasaei’s Imprisonment Sparks Conservative Rift Over US Diplomacy
Hardline MP Hamid Rasaei began a 10-month prison sentence on Sept 27, 2026, for a 2024 article accusing Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf of document manipulation. The case has fractured Iran’s conservative bloc, with hardliners attacking Ghalibaf and the judiciary for prioritizing internal discipline over US negotiations, while other conservatives defend the rule of law.