"If I ever decide to resign, I will be the one to announce it. However, I will not resign and remain steadfast in my position", Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated in an excerpt from an interview on the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) on 4/8.

Pezeshkian's statement came after senior Iranian cleric Mohammad-Bagher Kharrazi posted a video claiming the president had submitted his resignation 28 times recently, but all were rejected by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

According to Kharrazi, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei recently warned that if Pezeshkian submitted his resignation again, it would be approved.

Middle East media also reported that President Pezeshkian had submitted his resignation to Khamenei's office on 31/5, citing that his government was sidelined from important national decisions and that hardline groups within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were controlling major affairs.

In the 4/8 interview, President Pezeshkian suggested that some individuals "are attempting to create the impression of a disagreement between his administration and the Supreme Leader". He rejected these rumors, emphasizing that his government coordinates closely with the nation's armed forces, including the IRGC.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on 19/2. Photo: Reuters

Earlier, Mohammad Mahdi Tabatabaei, the official in charge of information and communication at the President's Office, also dismissed rumors of Pezeshkian's impending resignation, calling them "groundless" and "blatant lies".

Tabatabaei also sharply criticized "political extremists" for spreading these rumors to undermine national unity and serve the interests of Iran's enemies.

Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei holds the highest authority within Iran's political and military apparatus, while President Pezeshkian heads the executive branch, managing daily government affairs.

Mojtaba Khamenei was elected to this position after his father, the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was killed in a US and Israel airstrike in February. Mojtaba was also injured in that attack and has not appeared publicly since his appointment.

By Ngoc Anh (Based on Tasnim, AFP)