Hardline Iranian MPs move to impeach foreign minister over UN talks

Hardline lawmakers in Iran have filed a motion to impeach Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi over his talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month. The move has exposed a public split inside the Islamic Republic over whether to pursue negotiations with Washington. Parliamentary officials said the request has been registered, but it has not yet been referred for further consideration or placed on the agenda.

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The motion centres on a meeting held on 22 September, which the lawmakers behind it say took place without authorisation from Iran's top leadership or coordination with the Supreme National Security Council. The group is led by Amirhossein Sabeti of the hardline Paydari Front. Mohammad Rashidi, a member of parliament's presiding board, confirmed on Tuesday that the filing had been entered into the parliamentary system.

Another signatory, Hosseinali Hajideligani, accused Araghchi of repeatedly helping to lower oil prices for the United States through targeted interviews. The dispute has also drawn in the Supreme National Security Council. Its secretary, Mohsen Rezaei, directly contradicted the claim that the talks were unauthorised, saying it had been agreed that Araghchi would convey Iran's conditions to intermediaries during his trip to New York.

According to the lawmakers, the talks were held with Qatar acting as an intermediary and focused on conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a key issue in negotiations between Tehran and Washington since the war began in late February. Araghchi reportedly set out demands including the immediate lifting of a US naval blockade, the immediate transfer of frozen Iranian assets and an end to the war on all fronts. The impeachment push matters because it highlights the continuing struggle over Iran's approach to the United States at a time of heightened regional tension.

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The foreign minister's contacts with Washington are being scrutinised not only as a diplomatic issue, but also as a test of who in Tehran has the authority to shape policy. The disagreement comes as the war has already made the Strait of Hormuz a central point of leverage, with implications for shipping, energy markets and wider security in the Gulf. Araghchi's name has appeared on impeachment lists drawn up by hardline MPs several times over the past two years, suggesting the latest move is part of a longer-running internal campaign against his handling of the US file.

The lawmakers say he crossed red lines in negotiations and made serious political miscalculations. At the same time, parliamentary figures have stressed that filing a motion does not guarantee it will advance, and there is no indication yet that the speaker supports it or that it will reach the floor. What happens next will depend on whether the motion is taken up by parliament's leadership and whether the political balance inside Iran shifts further against talks with Washington.

The immediate questions are whether the impeachment effort gains enough backing to move forward and how the government responds to the challenge. For now, the case remains a sign of deep disagreement over diplomacy, authority and the future of negotiations linked to the war.

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