Iran's hard-liners sabotaged a U.S. peace deal by launching a clandestine attack on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, drawing immediate U.S. retaliation. President Masoud Pezeshkian, furious over the strikes, confronted General Ahmad Vahidi of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, who denied authorization. The Supreme National Security Council was also caught off guard. The operation was orchestrated by a fringe faction, leaving the new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, a phantom figure since March, unable to intervene. In the ensuing chaos, senior officials clashed violently, with two generals threatening resignation. The Supreme Leader eventually appointed General Mohsen Rezaei to mediate, but deep divisions persist. Iran and the U.S. subsequently traded attacks, with Iran targeting American naval vessels, effectively ending the brief thaw in relations and strengthening hard-liner positions.

Iran's president was riding high after negotiating a peace agreement when he received news that Iranian forces had opened fire on three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. A Qatari L.N.G. tanker was set ablaze, and other vessels were damaged. Outraged, Pezeshkian phoned General Vahidi, demanding answers. Vahidi claimed he had no advance knowledge, stating the Supreme National Security Council was also in the dark. In reality, a hard-line faction had acted independently. The lack of supreme leadership, with Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei unseen since March, created a power vacuum. This infighting contributed to a shake-up at the National Security Council. As Iran and the U.S. traded attacks, the peace deal collapsed, and hard-liners solidified their grip on escalation.

Farnaz Fassihi, who has covered Iran for three decades, reported that regime insiders and officials confirmed the factional rift. The sabotage derailed moderates seeking to repair Iran's ailing economy. With the supreme leader absent and the Revolutionary Guards acting autonomously, the path to de-escalation appears blocked. The region remains volatile as both nations exchange strikes, signaling a return to hostility.