Phantom Leader Absence Fuels Iran Hardliners’ Push to Derail Peace Talks
A report says a hardline faction in Tehran, aided by the public absence of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, ordered July attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz led by paramilitary chief Hossein Taeb to derail a U.S.–Iran peace memorandum, highlighting a split between hardliners and moderates over negotiations.