There was an attempt to remove Iran’s supreme leader from power.
Ex-President and Top Diplomat Tried to Sideline Khamenei — And Failed Big Time! Who’s Really Running the Show Now?
According to a bombshell report in the French newspaper Le Figaro, former Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and ex-Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif launched a secret move in early January 2026 — right at the peak of massive nationwide protests — to strip Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of crisis decision-making power.
Their goal was to pull him out of the loop to allegedly save the regime from total collapse amid economic meltdown and deadly crackdowns.
However, it backfired spectacularly. Hardliner Ali Larijani — a loyal Khamenei ally — refused to back the plan and helped shut it down.
As a result, Rouhani and Zarif reportedly faced days of house arrest.
Reformist allies were briefly detained. Now, Larijani has emerged as Iran’s de facto leader, handling security, economy, diplomacy, nuclear talks, and even war preparations as tensions with the US and Israel skyrocket.
