Death to the negotiating team? The extremists who dictate the votes in Iran

The conduct of the Iranian delegation to the negotiation talks with the US in Switzerland yesterday (Sunday) was not intended solely for external negotiation purposes, but was also greatly influenced by dramatic voices of criticism heard at home. The appearance of an extremist Iranian member of parliament on television in Iran and the alleged disclosure of a correspondence document from Supreme Leader Mujtaba Khamenei in which words of opposition and criticism of the negotiations are heard, is just one example To the conservative camp that is agitating Iran these days.

The Faydri Front, also known as the “Persistence Front”, has become in recent years one of the most rigid and influential camps in Iranian politics. Although it is a political camp that is not particularly large, its influence far exceeds its size, mainly thanks to its hold on central centers of power in the government system. Its people present themselves as defenders of the values ​​of the 1979 revolution, but in practice they promote a line of continuous confrontation with the United States and the West, the hardening of internal policies and the rejection of any meaningful compromise.

In recent weeks, the voices of criticism in Iran against the negotiations with the US have increased, with the arrows of criticism completely focused on the speaker of the parliament, Mohammad-Bakar Kalibaf, who serves as the head of the negotiating team, and the foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi. In some of the demonstrations, which although were not too large but did get a lot of coverage, there were even calls for the death of the two.

Among the prominent figures associated with the Paidri Front is Sadek Mehsuli, the official leader of the party, a former officer in the Revolutionary Guards and a minister in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government. Another central figure is the cleric Morteza Tehrani, who serves as the chairman of the party’s central council and plays an important role in shaping its ideological and parliamentary work. Next to them, MP Mahmoud Navabian stands out, known for his fierce opposition to any agreement that would require concessions to Washington, as well as the ultra-conservative MP Amir-Hossein Sabati.

The camp also has a wider circle of allies and supporters. One of them is Said Jalili, who for years has been associated with the most rigid line in the nuclear negotiations, and was supported by the Paidri networks in the 2024 presidential race. Jalili is the Supreme Leader’s representative in the Supreme Council for National Security and has great influence on the decision-making process. He has held the position since the days of Ali Khamenei, and it was recently reported that he might be deposed by Mujtaba, but it finally turned out that he continues to hold the position and influence. The movement is also associated with clerics such as Muhammad Mehdi Mirbakri and the late spiritual leader Muhammad Taqi of Sabah Yazdi, whose religious interpretation greatly influenced the camp’s worldview.

The basis of the ideology of the Paidri Front rests on several central principles: total opposition to the United States, rejection of compromises with the West, maintaining the “purity” of the values ​​of the revolution and strict social conservatism. Supporters of the camp present the negotiations as a trap designed to weaken the Islamic Republic and allow foreign influence on the country. In addition, they promote a messianic and apocalyptic interpretation of Shia, which gives their views a more ideological and decisive character than that of other conservative camps.

In the internal arena, a Paydri front is identified with support for strict social control, strict enforcement of the hijab obligation, reduction of the space for resistance and protest, and a perception that the state should use its power to monitor society aggressively. From the point of view of its people, it is not only a struggle against the West but also a project to reshape Iran around discipline, ideology and loyalty.

The power of the Paidri Front derives less from broad popular support and more from its position within the governing institutions. It enjoys a significant presence in parliament, the media and various parts of the conservative elite. Its rise was strengthened by the political polarization that intensified after the hijab protest in 2022, the low turnout in the elections and the screening of many candidates by the Council of Guardians of the Constitution, which reduced political competition and gave the extremist camps more room to operate.

In addition, the camp benefits from internal discipline and uniform relays, along with access to media platforms related to the state, including the Iranian state television, which helps spread its positions and recruit supporters. His influence is particularly evident around the issue of negotiations: through public attacks against any compromise, his people manage to raise the political price for more pragmatic parties and reduce their room for maneuver.

As a result, the Faydri Front became not only an ideological movement, but also a kind of political gatekeeper that determines the limits of the public debate in Iran, further radicalizing it to the hawkish side. It plays a central role in shaping positions on relations with the West, the nuclear negotiations and social control within the country, and its influence is much greater than its numerical weight.