Axios: Sharp Division in Iran.. Military and Negotiation Rifts

SadaNews - A report from the American site "Axios" revealed an unprecedented sharp division within the decision-making centers in Iran, amid stalled negotiations with the United States, with a lack of a decisive role from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The site quoted an American official saying there is a "total division between the negotiators and the military," noting that both sides are unable to reach Khamenei, who "does not respond," leading to a paralysis in the decision-making process. Signs of this division began to emerge following the first round of talks hosted in Islamabad, when IRGC Commander General Ahmad Vahidi and his deputies rejected many points discussed by the Iranian negotiating team. The disagreement became public last Friday when Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, only for the IRGC to refuse the decision and criticize him openly. Since then, Tehran has not provided a clear response to the recent American proposal and has refrained from confirming its participation in a second round of talks in Pakistan. The report indicated that the assassination of Ali Larijani, the former secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, in March contributed to deepening the division due to his previous role in coordinating positions between political and military institutions. According to the American source, his successor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has not been able to fill this gap and is described as "ineffective" in managing internal balances. In Washington, there has been increasing frustration regarding the stalled negotiation process, particularly during the past 48 hours, which saw a decline in the chances of a new round of discussions. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance was preparing to head to Islamabad before the trip was disrupted due to a lack of clear approval from the Iranian side. The report stated that the "Air Force Two" plane remained on the Andrews base runway for hours waiting for takeoff before the flight was canceled, while White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner returned to Washington instead of heading to Pakistan. Amid this complexity, U.S. President Donald Trump held a meeting with his National Security team to discuss available options, with varying opinions on military escalation versus granting the diplomatic path more time. Axios quoted an American official saying that Trump ultimately decided to give an additional chance to diplomacy, despite the confusion within the administration regarding the path the crisis might take. The official added that the divisions within Iran raised questions about the feasibility of moving forward with the talks in the absence of a unified position from Tehran.