With the US-Israel-Iran war entering its second week, Tehran has continued to strike a defiant tone, with its leaders rejecting US demands for an "unconditional surrender", and vowing to fight on. Despite this, the leadership in Iran is increasingly showing signs of being fractured by the war, which many in Tehran have described as an existential fight.
The death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, has laid bare the fissures within Iran's leadership, as moderates and hardliners clash over the direction of the war. Khamenei commanded fierce loyalty from officials and leaders of the regime.
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This rift within Iran's leadership was made evident by three recent events.
The first was the uproar from hardliners in Iran after President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised for Iran targeting its neighbouring nations, which later led him to walk back on his statement, arguing that his remarks were being misinterpreted to spread division.
The second was the appointment of Ali Khameini's son, Mojtaba Khameini, as the new supreme leader of Iran.
Mojtaba's appointment was reportedly pushed for by hardline factions within Iran's clerical class as well as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), much to the dismay of Tehran's reformist and moderate leaders, who see
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