Iran denies media reports of President Pezeshkian's resignation

The Iranian government on Sunday, 31 May, denied media reports claiming that President Masoud Pezeshkian had resigned. ‘President Pezeshkian will not resign in serving the people, just as the Iranian nation will not retreat from the path of solidarity and resistance,’ said Seyyed Mehdi Tabatabaei, Deputy for Communications at the Iranian Presidential Office, in a social media post. The statement came after London-based media outlet Iran International reported earlier the same day that Pezeshkian had submitted his resignation letter to the office of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Citing an unnamed official, the report alleged that the resignation letter criticised the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for allegedly taking control of most of the government and sidelining the president and other senior officials from key decision-making processes. According to the report, Pezeshkian stated he was unable to govern or fulfil his legal responsibilities, leading him to decide to submit his resignation.