All articles tagged with #domestic politics
A Tehran mourning site near Ali Khamenei's death was shut after shroud-wearing ultra-hardliners occupied it for three days, exposing a widening rift inside Iran’s loyalist camp over how to memorialize the slain leader and shape policy, with one faction seeking unity and the other pressing a hardline campaign against officials seen as too pragmatic.
A hardline MP read allegedly top-secret letters attributed to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on state TV, claiming he opposed ongoing Iran-US negotiations and set conditions (compensation, Iran’s exclusive control of the Strait of Hormuz, and keeping the nuclear issue off the table). The broadcaster cut the program, and the disclosure drew legal threats and conservative backlash, highlighting divisions in Tehran over the recently signed Iran-US memorandum and the next round of talks in Switzerland.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has submitted a formal resignation to the Office of the Supreme Leader, arguing that the president and government have been excluded from major decisions and that hardline IRGC factions have effectively taken control, creating a political vacuum and deadlock. It is unclear whether Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei will accept the move, underscoring a rare and deep rift at the highest levels following months of tension between the government and Iran's security apparatus.
Hardline MP Hamid Rasaei drew sharp backlash after posting a Telegram note many took as an indirect jab at Mojtaba Khamenei, triggering accusations of disrespect toward Iran's Leader; Rasaei says he simply reshared an older piece and has supported Mojtaba's leadership, highlighting ongoing factional tensions over leadership succession and the role of Parliament in Iran.
With Ukraine’s stalemate persisting and discontent rising at home, Vladimir Putin appears poised to escalate the war, signaling broader actions that could heighten international tensions and intensify Russia’s domestic political strain.
A leaked confidential letter to Mojtaba Khamenei reveals a split within Iran’s leadership over whether to negotiate with the United States on the nuclear file; some senior figures urged talks due to a worsening economy, while others refused to sign. The leak prompted synchronized official posts of unity to quell the rift, underscoring a power struggle between hardliners and moderates.
Nighttime protests across Cuba are intensifying as residents in Morón and other cities bang pots to express anger over worsening living conditions and chronic power outages; in one town they even attacked the Communist Party office, highlighting broad civil unrest under a strained economy.
President Trump issued an executive order to curb institutional investors buying single-family homes, directing agencies to block government-backed loans and incentives that would enable such purchases. The order will define “large institutional investor” and “single-family home” within 30 days and carve out build-to-rent projects, while also exploring options like allowing 401(k) withdrawals for down payments and government-backed mortgage bonds totaling about $200 billion, a step framed to address housing affordability ahead of Davos.
Emmanuel Macron remains active internationally, notably advocating for a Palestinian state and multilateralism, but his centrist political project in France is facing significant challenges and unraveling domestically.