Hardline lawmaker in hot water for challenging Khamenei’s authority

In remarks at the Iranian parliament, ultraconservative lawmaker Amir-Hossein Sabeti appears to have badly undermined his position by challenging Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s authority for the second time in less than two days.

While most Iranians pay little attention to parliamentary proceedings, the tensions between the ultraconservatives and President Masoud Pezeshkian—still supported by reformists and Majles Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf—could lead to subtle shifts in power. These dynamics might reveal who holds sway and who doesn’t by Wednesday, when the Majles votes on the new ministers.

On Sunday morning, while speaking in parliament (Majles) as a critic of Abbas Araghchi, the nominee for Foreign Minister in Pezeshkian’s administration, Sabeti said, “Some people here are saying that we should vote for Araghchi because someone told them to.” Sabeti, a member of the ultraconservative Paydari Party, made this remark seemingly unaware that the "someone" he referred to was none other than Khamenei himself, who traditionally selects a few key cabinet ministers, including the Foreign Minister.

Other lawmakers quickly accused Sabeti of disrespecting Khamenei and questioning the loyalty of Iranian lawmakers to the Supreme Leader. In the Islamic regime, obedience to Khamenei is a point of pride for politicians and referring to him as merely "someone" is considered highly disrespectful, even if the remark wasn’t directed at Khamenei himself.

IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency in a commentary on Monday wrote that Sabet’s remark was “a major mistake at the beginning of his career as a member of the parliament.”

Sabeti was elected in the heavily engineered March election, where most candidates were disqualified by the Guardian Council, which is controlled by Khamenei himself.

Tasnim described Sabeti’s rhetoric as “impolite” and “arrogant,” accusing him of implying that he and his allies in parliament are "more revolutionary than other revolutionaries." Tasnim cautioned that such reckless and misguided remarks could pave the way for more serious and unacceptable errors.

Meanwhile, the IRGC’s newspaper Javan criticized the lawmaker in its Monday morning editorial, stating: “While criticizing the proposed Foreign Minister, a former TV presenter turned parliamentarian made remarks that gave foreign media a pretext to attack the Supreme Leader and cast accusations on other lawmakers in the Majles. His comments undermined the independence of the Majles and played into the hands of counter-revolutionaries. Additionally, social media users seized on his remarks to portray the country’s situation in a negative light.”

The commentary also said that the comment was against Khamenei’s recent advice in which he told the lawmakers to avoid controversy and discord and reminded that Khamenei had also stated that such behavior can only make the Islamic Republic’s enemies happy.

Javan described Sabeti as a "newcomer" and labeled his behavior as "a folly that could lead to further blunders." This wasn’t the first time Sabeti made such a significant mistake. Just a day earlier, during a televised debate with fellow lawmaker Abbas Moghtadai, who supported Araghchi, Sabeti questioned Khamenei’s authority. Moghtadai had argued in favor of Araghchi by noting that Khamenei had appointed him as the secretary of his own Foreign Relations Committee and had praised his diplomatic qualifications. Sabeti retorted by stating that not everyone endorsed by Khamenei should automatically receive the support of others.

Following these two incidents, hardliners in the parliament, including members of the Paydari Party, quickly distanced themselves from Sabeti and his remarks. Reformists criticized him for undermining Khamenei’s authority, with some even calling for the annulment of Sabeti’s credentials. Additionally, it has been suggested that Sabeti never completed his mandatory two-year military service. While the future consequences for Sabeti remain uncertain, it is evident that the IRGC is no longer backing him.

The stakes go beyond just one lawmaker’s fate; the recent incidents have played directly into the hands of Majles Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has unresolved scores with Paydari and its leading figures, such as Sabeti and cleric Hamid Rasai. Ghalibaf strategically denied them further opportunities to speak in the Majles, citing changes in the house agenda.

The true influence of Paydari will be tested on Wednesday when the Majles votes on confidence for Pezeshkian’s 19 cabinet ministers. In their most recent test, during the vote for the Speaker of the Majles a few months ago, Paydari managed to secure only 60 votes. Wednesday’s vote could reveal whether their influence has grown or diminished.