An outspoken Iranian lawmaker known for repeated threats against Israel and the United States has been removed from his senior position after publicly opposing negotiations with Washington and criticizing Iran’s leadership.
Followers of Ebrahim Rezaei’s account on X recently noticed a significant change in his biography. He was no longer listed as spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, but simply as one of its members.
Rezaei’s profile picture before and after his removal
Rezaei, an active social media user associated with the more hardline wing of Iran’s political establishment, has repeatedly issued sharp statements against Israel, the United States and negotiations with Washington.
According to reports, those positions cost him his post. The opposition outlet Iran International reported on July 14 that parliament had removed two prominent critics of the talks with the U.S. from senior positions on the committee.
The decision came one day after parliament reconvened following a break of more than four months. Alongside Rezaei, lawmakers also removed Mahmoud Nabavian, who had served as one of the committee’s deputy chairmen.
Iranian state television also published the committee’s new leadership lineup on July 14. One Iranian report said the changes “send a signal outside parliament that members of this committee, and parliament as a whole, want its positions to be balanced and supportive of negotiations.” Iran International described Rezaei and Nabavian as two of the most vocal opponents of negotiations with Washington during and after the military confrontation.
Rezaei is among the most frequently quoted Iranian figures in Arabic- and Persian-language media and is widely identified with the conservative hardline camp.
The change in his status was difficult to miss. He replaced his profile picture on X and changed his title from “committee spokesman,” which had given his statements the appearance of representing the committee as a whole, to “representative of the people of Dashtestan and member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.”
His rhetoric, however, has remained unchanged. On Tuesday morning, Rezaei was quoted as saying that “the capabilities of Tehran and the resistance front are greater than before.”
“Despite the threats, the enemies do not have the ability to launch a comprehensive attack against Iran,” he said.
On August 1, he wrote on X that Iran’s response to any future attack “will not be limited to the Persian Gulf region.”
“We will respond to all enemy bases and to the source of the attacks, wherever they come from,” he wrote.
Criticized parliament speaker and foreign minister, then ousted: Mahmoud Nabavian
On July 20, Rezaei criticized remarks by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Pezeshkian had said that economic pressure could undermine military achievements. Rezaei responded that the correct conclusion was that “inefficiency and managerial weakness, particularly in the economic field, can damage military achievements.” He added that military gains, including in the Strait of Hormuz, could produce long-term economic benefits for Iran.
Rezaei continued issuing threats even after losing his position. “In a future confrontation, the enemy will face a comprehensive and surprising attack by the Islamic Republic,” he wrote. “We have many options that we did not use even in the 40-day war, including withdrawal from the NPT, changing the nuclear doctrine and closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait.”
“If Iran faces an existential threat, changing the nuclear doctrine may also be placed on the agenda,” he added.
In another post, he responded to remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump about the possible seizure of Kharg Island. “Come. We are waiting for you, and we promise that not a single American soldier will return alive,” Rezaei wrote.
Rezaei was born in 1982 in Dashtestan County in southwestern Iran. He studied communications and later completed a doctorate in Tehran. According to reports, his dissertation focused on developing a communications model based on national and Islamic interests and values.
During his media career, he worked for Iranian state broadcasting and several major Iranian news agencies, including Mehr, IRNA and Fars.
‘A secret letter from Khamenei’
Nabavian, the second lawmaker removed from the committee leadership, had repeatedly argued that any agreement with Washington would represent a complete defeat for Iran. He said Iran’s previous experience with negotiations had produced only “broken promises, deception and gains for the enemy.”
Iran International also reported that Nabavian criticized parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, both of whom have faced growing pressure from opponents of negotiations with the U.S. Nabavian vowed to resist what he described as a “coup” and accused unnamed political rivals of trying to push hardline forces out of positions of influence.
He also read excerpts on state television from what he claimed was a “secret letter from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei regarding negotiations with the United States.”
According to Nabavian, Khamenei opposed the talks and set conditions including guaranteed U.S. compensation, preservation of Iran’s uranium enrichment program, exclusive Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz and payments from ships passing through it.
Under the committee’s annual leadership vote, Ebrahim Azizi retained his position as chairman. Abbas Moqtadaei and Amir Hayat-Moqaddam were elected deputy chairmen, while Hassan Qashqavi replaced Rezaei as committee spokesman.