Iran International
Iran’s president is facing growing heat as moderate allies turn against him, arguing that his promised government of national consensus has instead lost its authority and internal cohesion.
Over the past month, three senior aides have resigned, while persistent rumors point to the possible departure of Vice President Mohammad-Reza Aref and several cabinet ministers, either voluntarily or under pressure from the hardline-dominated parliament.
The wave began last month when Fayyaz Zahed, a member of the Government Information Council (GIC), resigned, citing restrictions on expressing his views and the appointment of well-known conservatives under the banner of “national consensus.”
“Whatever this is, it is not consensus; it is distortion,” Zahed wrote on X.
A university professor and head of the Tehran Journalists’ Trade Association, Zahed had repeatedly criticized limits on free expression, judicial independence and media freedom.
More departures
Within days, Mohammad Mohajeri, another GIC member and a prominent journalist, resigned, citing similar concerns.
The third departure came last weekend, when the sociologist Mohammad-Reza Javadi-Yeganeh announced on X that he was leaving the Center for Public Communications in the president’s office and returning to academia.
“The reality is that people suffer not only from countless economic problems but also from unnecessary restrictions and interventions,” Javadi-Yeganeh wrote on X, criticizing the administration for shelving a key promise to lift internet restrictions in the face of hardline pressure.
Javadi-Yeganeh had recently shared part of a confidential survey conducted by the Iranian Students Polling Agency (ISPA) on behalf of the presidency, which some political groups said suggested public dissatisfaction approaching 92 percent.
‘Political erosion’
Many moderates in Tehran have framed the resignations as an ominous sign for the administration’s political future.
“Reformists and media outlets supporting the government will no longer pass over this issue so easily,” the news website Rouydad24 wrote in an editorial.
Another editorial, published by the moderate outlet Rooz-e No, warned of a phase of “political erosion” that it said was now visible both outside the government and within the circles close to President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Rooz-e No argued that the resignations, combined with rumors of further departures, mounting pressure from a hardline parliament and the prospect of impeaching key ministers, point to a deeper crisis.
‘Limping’ government
The political strain is unfolding against a backdrop of worsening economic conditions.
Recent government measures aimed at stabilizing the exchange rate and raising gasoline prices have driven up the cost of goods and services, including food and transportation, while shortages of some medicines have worsened.
Critics say the deteriorating economy has not translated into changes in economic leadership, particularly where such moves could carry political costs for Pezeshkian.
They point in particular to Central Bank Governor Mohammad Reza Farzin, who Pezeshkian retained from the conservative administration of Ebrahim Raisi and appears unwilling—or unable—to touch.
"Not even a word about resignation or at least an apology,” journalist Hamid Shojaei exclaimed in an article in moderate daily Arman-e Melli, arguing that it was only the reform-minded like former economy minister Nasser Hemmati and former adviser Ali Tayebnia who pay for the crisis.
“The cycle of resignations will continue,” Shojaei warned Pezeshkian on X. “Is your national consensus not limping? Where are you headed to?”
The message emerged at a joint meeting between media and tourism officials hosted by the strategic council of Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts and the media affairs department of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, according to ISNA.
Participants said tourism increasingly depends on professional narrative-building to counter negative perceptions and present Iran’s security and cultural capacity to foreign audiences.
Officials argued that media should move beyond a passive role and become an active partner in promoting tourism and related industries.
Mohammadreza Norouzpour, deputy media affairs minister, said tourism cannot gain visibility without media engagement and that effective communication requires sustained, credible storytelling.
He said developing a participatory model between media and tourism actors was essential to reposition the sector domestically and internationally.
Speaking at the meeting, Mohsen Haji Saeid, head of the tourism working group and chairman of the national association of tour guides, said restoring Iran’s image abroad – especially following the recent conflict – was now the core issue facing the tourism industry.
He criticized traditional promotional approaches and called for a comprehensive information bank to present data on safety and tourism potential.
Other speakers emphasized the role of private-sector participation, health tourism, visual content, and the use of tour guides as cultural ambassadors.
Officials also discussed leveraging major international events, such as the World Cup, to amplify Iran’s narrative.
The meeting concluded with agreement to continue the tourism working group’s activities on a permanent, issue-driven basis, aimed at strengthening media-tourism coordination and improving perceptions of Iran among domestic and international audiences.
