Iran is in turmoil after reports from outside Tehran surfaced that Massoud Pesikan had submitted a letter of resignation to the Supreme Leader’s office, claiming his government had been undermined by hardline factions linked to the Revolutionary Guard. The crisis erupted while Donald Trump was holding up the signing of the agreement between the United States and Iran and demanding tougher changes to the text this Monday, June 1, 2026.
In Washington, Trump agreed to provide financial relief to Tehran without clear guarantees regarding the nuclear program and passage through the Strait of Hormous. In Teran, the president-elect appears pressured by commanders and factions unwilling to relinquish power. “What is the guard trying to hide?” “Why did Trump block the deal at the crucial moment?” “How will the Iranian regime explain a president who claims to have been sidelined?” “I’ll tell you all about it in a moment.”
Trump put the deal on hold after a meeting with his national security team on Friday. The draft had already been negotiated by representatives from both sides, but it was sent back for review because the White House wants firmer language regarding Iran’s nuclear commitments.
The central demand is simple. Tehran cannot use the truce to make money, ease sanctions, and maintain leeway to continue its nuclear program. The change struck at the heart of the Iranian plan. The Revolutionary Guard built its power precisely by controlling security, borders, allied militias, ports, routes, and strategic sectors of the economy.
When diplomacy threatens to interfere with this power, the commanders try to apply the brakes. It was in this environment that the report emerged that Pesquan had sent the resignation letter. According to information circulating in the international press, he complained that central decisions were being made without the involvement of the civilian government, opening the door for more hardline factions within the Revolutionary Guard.
Masud Peskin formally assumed the presidency of Iran on July 28, 2024, after winning the snap election called following the death of Ebra Rai. He is a cardiologist, former health minister, and a politician seen as a moderate within the Iranian system. While the president attempts to advocate for more external dialogue, some social openness, and economic recovery, his power is limited because the most significant decisions in Iran ultimately rest with the supreme leader.
An Iranian official denied the resignation, but the denial does not erase the political damage. The crisis did not originate solely in Tehran. It grew because Trump hit the hardest spot: money in exchange for promises. The White House doesn’t want to repeat the mistake of releasing billions of dollars only to discover that the regime used the breathing room to reorganize its military machine.
In recent days, American forces shot down Iranian drones that were threatening a commercial vessel near the region. This type of provocation reinforced Washington’s interpretation. Iran negotiates sitting at the table, but tests limits at sea. The Revolutionary Guard understands the weight of this passage.
Opening Orm without blackmail removes an instrument of pressure from the military wing. Accepting control over enriched uranium removes another card from the table. Entering into nuclear negotiations with stronger oversight reduces the grey area that the regime has used for years to seek external relief while maintaining the regional threat.
That’s why Peskian appears squeezed in. He needs to show the Iranian people that he can ease the economic strain, but the system’s powerful men don’t want to hand over the tools that sustain their influence. Trump recognized this division and acted on it. He didn’t close the door to negotiation, but he also refused to sign a weak document just to announce peace.
The American team wants the text to prevent vague interpretations, especially regarding nuclear weapons, uranium stockpiles, maritime passage, and frozen money. The White House’s logic is to extract guarantees before offering any rewards to the regime. If Teiran wants relief, he needs to prove that he ‘s not just buying time.
Peskinan became the visible face of this impasse. He came to the presidency promising some degree of openness and an attempt to reduce isolation, but he governs within a structure where the president does not rule alone. Real power lies with the supreme leader, the revolutionary guard, the religious apparatus, and the security services.
When the agreement with the United States progressed, this structure showed that it does not intend to leave a civilian president alone to conduct a decision that affects the core of the regime. The potential resignation reveals a deeper crisis than a cabinet dispute. Iran is torn between the need for economic stability and the fear of appearing defeated in the face of Trump.
The streets are feeling the effects of inflation, shortages, sanctions, and the cost of a foreign policy based on permanent confrontation. The military elite feels another kind of pressure. If you accept a tough deal, you lose some control. Refusing would keep the regime isolated and expose the population to further suffering.
That’s where Trump’s movement gets more powerful. By requesting changes after saying the deal was nearly finalized, he made it clear that the signature will not be used as an empty trophy. The American president wants a document that ties teran to verifiable commitments. This pushes the revolutionary guard toward an uncomfortable choice.
By blocking the situation, he is admitting to the world that he prefers to preserve internal power rather than pave the way for relieving the Iranian people themselves. The next step depends on Teeran’s response to the revised text. If the regime accepts the changes, the agreement could move forward as a temporary truce, with 60 days to negotiate more in-depth details about the nuclear program and sanctions.
If the guard tightens, the political crisis is likely to escalate within Iran, because the president already appears weakened and the center of decision-making seems to have shifted to commanders and ideological factions. Washington is also watching who speaks on behalf of Iran. It’s one thing to negotiate with diplomats who promise openness.
Another is discovering that the final word rests in the hands of sectors that treat concessions as a humiliation. This uncertainty explains Trump’s caution. He knows that any loophole in the text could become a trap later. Therefore, he insists on clearer terms, defined deadlines, and guarantees before any financial relief.
The news about Pesch’s letter raised a question that the regime cannot bury with a simple denial. “Who really calls the shots when the deal involves money, uranium, and ormuz?” The answer lies within the conflict itself. The president is trying to negotiate economic survival. The guards are trying to maintain control.
Trump holds up the pen and demands that the regime choose between a serious agreement or public exposure of its own division. The immediate consequence is a suspended agreement, a weakened Iranian presidency, and a Revolutionary Guard placed at the center of the pressure. The regime wanted to project an image of strength, but now it needs to explain why its president would be talking about stepping down, just when the most important agreement with the United States was on the table.
Tehran’s next response will not only determine a truce, it will show whether Iran still has a civilian government capable of negotiating or whether the hardline faction has definitively taken control. “I’m Milson Alves, an international relations specialist, and my purpose is to keep you well-informed with the truth every day.”
