Iran Replaces Ghalibaf with Jalili on U.S. Negotiating Team

U.S. is undergoing a significant shift, with Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf set to be replaced by Saeed Jalili, according to reports. Fox News reported that Jalili, aged 60, is expected to succeed Ghalibaf following his sudden departure amid internal disputes, as detailed in an April 24 report from Iran International.

This move comes after Ghalibaf stepped down for attempting to bring the nuclear issue into talks with Washington, triggering backlash within Iran’s political establishment. S. envoys to travel to Pakistan for peace talks with Iran on April 25.

Fox News reported that the rivalry between Jalili and Ghalibaf spans more than a decade and intensified during the 2024 elections, when Jalili refused to step aside, contributing to the victory of President Masoud Pezeshkian. Ali Safavi, an official with the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), stated that the increased visibility of latent divisions stems from recurring nationwide uprisings, deep economic crises, and the pressures of war, all of which have intensified internal feuding.

Saeed Jalili leads a shadow government in Iran and heads the ultra-hardline faction known as the Stability Front (Paydari), described as a bastion of ultraconservatism in Iran.

Fox News reported that Jalili served as Iran’s top nuclear negotiator from 2007 to 2013 under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, ran for president of Iran three times, and served as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. A former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Jalili lost his right leg at age 21 during the Iran-Iraq War, earning him the title of Living Martyr.

The Paydari Front opposes engagement with the West, particularly the 2015 nuclear deal, and advocates a doctrine of active resistance.

During Hassan Rouhani’s presidency, Jalili established a shadow government to counter the administration’s policies, especially the nuclear deal. Safavi stated that Jalili has evolved from a nuclear negotiator to an influential actor within the regime.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is seeking a continued leading role in negotiations and is currently in Islamabad, Pakistan, after returning from a short trip to Muscat, Oman, where he held high-level diplomatic talks on the conflict.

Reports indicate Araghchi will travel to Moscow. Safavi stated that within this regime, there are a number of constants espoused by all factions, including repression, the export of terrorism, and the pursuit of nuclear weapons. On April 7, Jalili wrote on X: 'Yes — ‘infrastructure’ is on the verge of collapse; the infrastructure of domination and the American order.

' The previous day, on April 6, he posted on X: '‘Shut up’ is not the appropriate response to Trump’s ramblings; let him speak more. ' Safavi stated that in dealing with this regime, we must bear in mind that in the 45 years since the mullahs consolidated their rule in 1981 by crushing all peaceful political life, so-called reformists have governed for nearly half that time — presiding over some of its darkest crimes.

Those crimes, according to Safavi, include the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners, the assassination of dissidents abroad, the chain murders of intellectuals inside Iran, and the relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Fox News reported that these developments reflect accelerating erosion and mounting pressure within the regime, deepening fractures and leaving it weaker and more vulnerable.