Iranian hardliners have repeatedly accused President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi of a “soft coup” or political power grab by elevating the Supreme National Security Council, sidelining the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, and advancing negotiations with the United States following Ali Khamenei’s death in early 2026. These claims surfaced prominently during July 2026 truce talks and persisted amid ongoing U.S.-Israel strikes, economic protests, and security crackdowns. Iranian authorities have reported disrupting multiple foreign-linked networks and foiled plots, including arrests in southeastern provinces, yet no coordinated military or security-force effort to seize control has been widely confirmed by independent sources. Trader sentiment reflects these internal factional tensions alongside the regime’s demonstrated capacity to suppress unrest and maintain continuity through late 2026.