Tehran : One hundred and eighty members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly have issued a joint statement demanding formal state action to seek “revenge” for the death of Ali Khamenei, the former Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. The lawmakers also called on the heads of the three branches of government to officially declare the recent understanding with the United States dead.
In the statement, the lawmakers requested that the parliamentary presidium fast-track the formation of a special committee to investigate the ongoing negotiations and immediately place the draft law on the management of the Strait of Hormuz on the legislative agenda. The signatories urged the heads of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches to adopt “decisive and revolutionary positions” following remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump indicating the termination of the memorandum of understanding.
State media outlets in Iran reported that the statement garnered the signatures of 180 lawmakers during the parliamentary session held on Monday, July 13. Over the past few weeks, a growing faction of MPs has voiced opposition to continued talks with Washington, insisting that the terms of the recent interim understanding be subjected to a full review and scrutiny on the parliamentary floor. The release of this hardline statement coincided with Monday evening’s session, which notably took place without Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who serves as the Islamic Republic’s chief negotiator in talks with the United States.
This legislative rebellion highlights a severe internal rift within the Iranian political establishment following the “40-Day War” and the subsequent elevation of Mojtaba Khamenei as the new Supreme Leader. The large bloc of 180 lawmakers represents a powerful hardline faction determined to derail the diplomatic track managed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. By demanding “revolutionary vengeance” for the late Supreme Leader and pushing to legally formalise restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz, these lawmakers are attempting to strip the executive branch of diplomatic flexibility. This domestic political pressure, paired with the Trump administration’s declaration that the interim freeze has ended, effectively pushes the fragile Washington-Tehran diplomatic understanding to the brink of total collapse.
