# hardliners

Under Siege at Home and Abroad: Iran’s Hardliners Demand Punishment for Rouhani as U.S. Pressure Mounts

Hardline factions in Iran have intensified attacks on reformists, with some calling for the execution of former president Hassan Rouhani, against a backdrop of increased U.S. military deployments in the Gulf. The dispute pits hawks who favour confrontation against reformists who seek diplomatic de‑escalation, leaving the Supreme Leader’s choices as the pivotal determinant of whether tensions remain domestic or spill into regional conflict.