Parliament Ousts Two Hardline Critics of US Talks From Security Committee Leadership

During internal leadership elections as parliament reconvened after a four-month suspension, Mahmoud Nabavian lost his post as first deputy chairman and Ebrahim Rezaei was replaced as spokesperson of parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee. Both had been vocal opponents of diplomacy with Washington; Nabavian called any agreement 'an absolute loss' for Iran and faced scrutiny after publicly citing what he claimed were confidential communications from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, prompting state broadcaster IRIB to suggest legal action. The removals reflect a power shift toward the camp of Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's lead negotiator, amid growing conservative divisions over talks with the US following the ceasefire's collapse.