Iran International
A rare public clash over Iran’s top military commander has laid bare fault lines within Iran's hardline camp, exposing sensitivities over domestic and foreign policy as well as the country's ultimate taboo: the succession of a new Supreme Leader.
A news website and a newspaper widely seen as the mouthpieces of rival ultra-conservative factions clashed last week over recent controversial comments by the Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri.
At issue are his apparent criticism of harsh police tactics and revelation of details about Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's confidential reply to a letter from US President Donald Trump.
“How is it that the Chief of Staff is taking such positions … despite the clear directive of the Leader of the Revolution regarding countering the enemy’s calculations?” ultra-hardline outlet Raja News wrote in an editorial last Thursday.
Quick with a response was rival daily Javan, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a military body officially under Bagheri's command but whose head is chosen by Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
In a harshly worded commentary on Saturday, it accused Raja News of sowing factional discord which hurts national security and does not serve Khamenei.
The dispute is remarkable not just for its tone but for its target: Bagheri is one of Khamenei’s top appointees and widely seen as a stabilizing figure within Iran’s complex military establishment.
What sparked the criticism?
Iran’s ultra-hardliners—sometimes called ‘super revolutionaries’ by rival camps—first took issue with Bagheri in March, when on the occasion of Iranian New Year the Chief of Staff released a video message recorded at the historic ruins of Persepolis.
The super-revolutionaries condemned his choice of venue and outfit on social media: an ancient, pre-Islamic site rather than a religious one, and civilian clothing instead of a uniform—which the activists said signals pacifism rather than resistance.
Then came Bagheri discussing in public Khamenei’s response to Trump’s March 7 letter: that Iran was not pursuing nuclear weapons, sought peace in the region but would not abandon its civilian nuclear program and would negotiate only indirectly with the US.
Raja News criticized him for referring to the Supreme Leader instead of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The last instance—which appears to have triggered Raja News to attack Bagheri for past remarks—came on May 25, when Bagheri urged Iran’s law enforcement to adapt to the country’s “highly complex and evolving society.”
“The police command will get nowhere if it tries to deal with it using a harsh approach, batons and daggers,” he said in a speech on a university campus in Tehran.
This was seen as a veiled critique of attempts to revive enforcement of a stalled new hijab law, which has been suspended since last September despite hardliner pressure.
Is this really about Bagheri?
The outlet at the heart of the controversy, Raja News, is linked with the far-right Paydari Party and its allies including former nuclear negotiator and presidential candidate Saeed Jalili.
The camp is known to be in a cold war with another presidential candidate, Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, whose supporters joined the Bagheri fray in favor of the Commander in Chief.
“This radical group is smearing all the country’s officials, including the Leader’s appointees, with flawed arguments and hiding behind the Leader,” posted Nader Alizadeh, a pro-Ghalibaf activist, on X.
Some linked the criticism to Bagheri’s recent report on the helicopter crash that killed President Ebrahim Raisi suggesting it may have contradicted hardliner claims that the crash was a foreign plot.
Others suggested the controversy has more to do with the looming question of succession, reflecting anxieties about post-Khamenei leadership and loyalty within the armed forces.
“Obedience and absolute loyalty of the armed forces to the new Leader chosen by the Assembly of Experts will be crucial,” political analyst Mohammad-Ali Ahangaran posted on X. “This is the crux of the matter.”
In a public statement issued to Iranian media, Nikzad said, "With humility, I offer my sincere apology to the people.
"This servant of the people considers compliance with the law as obligatory and bows before it. I believe everyone must be equal before the law, and no one is exempt from this important principle."
He said the incident, which took place last week near Tehran’s Vanak Square, was unintentional and emphasized his family's full cooperation with authorities.
The incident drew significant media attention after reports emerged that Nikzad’s son had driven through a restricted bus lane and struck Colonel Khisheh, the head of Tehran Police District 3, while the officer was attempting to stop the vehicle. Rumors circulated on social media alleging attempts to cover up the incident or influence legal proceedings.
Colonel Khisheh, who spoke to multiple Iranian news outlets, confirmed the basic details but denied any attempt at evasion or cover-up.
“On Sunday, May 25, a vehicle entered the one-way lane leading to Vanak Square and was stopped by me,” he said. “In the process, the vehicle unintentionally struck me, causing minor injury. The driver stopped immediately, and the vehicle was impounded. A legal case was opened, and the driver was referred to the local police station.”
Khisheh added that he was taken to hospital and received a visit from both the driver’s family and Ali Nikzad himself. “They came quickly, expressed regret, and emphasized that all legal procedures must be followed.”
Iran’s national police chief, Brigadier General Ahmad-Reza Radan, also contacted Khisheh and his family following the incident and instructed senior police officials to oversee the case until its resolution, according to state media.
Nikzad acknowledged public frustration and concern surrounding the incident and rejected suggestions his son had acted with impunity. “My son did not flee the scene or behave arrogantly. The process of transferring the injured officer to the hospital was done immediately, and both the driver and the car were subjected to legal procedures,” he said.
Domestic commentators, including analysts from local news outlet Asr-e Iran, have called for the release of CCTV footage to ensure full transparency.
Nikzad addressed the broader implications of the incident, saying: “The dignity of the police, the law, and our country is not only obligatory for me, as someone entrusted with upholding the law — it is sacred. Any deviation from this principle is forbidden for me and my family.”
Iranian authorities have yet to disclose whether Nikzad’s son remains in custody.
Pattern of public backlash against lawmaker misconduct
The incident has revived public memory of a similarly controversial episode in 2021, when MP Ali Asghar Anabestani was accused of slapping a traffic police officer in Tehran.
That altercation—allegedly sparked when the officer tried to stop the MP’s car from entering a restricted bus lane—triggered widespread outrage, especially after a video of the officer’s account went viral.
In that case, police launched a formal complaint and submitted evidence to the judiciary, while media headlines described the act as “a slap in the face of a nation.”
Reformist outlets used the incident to challenge the legitimacy and behavior of the hardline-dominated parliament.
Anabestani denied the physical altercation, but his rejection only intensified public anger. Critics accused him of “slapping the law” and called for his disqualification from parliament.
The case showed mounting public frustration with perceived legal double standards for officials and their families.
The 2021 controversy also placed pressure on parliament’s leadership to demonstrate accountability, with Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf pledging zero tolerance for misconduct.
Nikzad’s swift public apology and emphasis on legal equality appear aimed at preventing a similar eruption of public anger.
Public criticism rekindles debate over privilege
The latest incident has reignited public criticism over perceived privilege and legal immunity afforded to officials and their families in the Islamic Republic. On social media, many users drew comparisons between the treatment of Nikzad’s son and that of protesters who have faced severe punishment.
One widely shared comment read: “Someone else’s child set fire to a trash bin and was executed in twenty days after being labeled a ‘mohareb’ [enemy of God]. Your reckless son ran over a law enforcement officer and not only wasn’t charged with moharebeh, he wasn’t even detained for an hour.”
The user was referring to the case of Mohsen Shekari, a protester who was executed on in December 2022
Another user posted: “If you’re part of the inner circle, even murder is handled with ‘compassion.’ If you’re not, setting a trash bin on fire equals the death penalty.”
In a pointed response to Nikzad’s apology, one user wrote: “Your humble apology insults the intelligence of a nation. Arrogantly, you’re trying to whitewash this with talk of unintended escape and unintended leniency from the police and judiciary.”
Economist Abdollah Rahimlou questioned Nikzad’s use of state resources, commenting on unverified allegations that the vehicle driven by Nikzad’s son was equipped with emergency lights.
“Why should an official government vehicle with a rotating light be available to your son? Can this misuse of public assets be resolved with a simple apology?", he said.
Well-known journalist Vahid Ashtari also asked why the MP has a special lane access card, writing, "Is a member of parliament the same as an ambulance or a fire truck?”
