Officials from both factions have acknowledged the regime’s dire situation, pleading with Khamenei to listen to protesters in the same way that Iran’s previous dictator, the Shah, did. However, Khamenei has remained dismissive yet again.

In his remarks on Saturday, Khamenei expressed desperation in the face of what many regards as Iran’s democratic revolution, urging authorities from both his “loyalist” and rival factions to join forces. The nationwide uprising continues for the third month in a row despite the authorities’ attempts to quash demonstrations. The continuation of these protests has exacerbated the regime’s infighting, exposing large cracks in the regime.

“They tell us to listen to the people’s voices. Didn’t you hear them on November 4th? Listen to the people! “How long has it been since the burial ceremony of Soleimani and the large crowd that attended it?” he asked, referring to the state-staged rallies on this year’s anniversary of Iran’s Hostage Crisis in 1979, as well as the mourning ceremonies staged by the regime in 2020 following the elimination of its terror-mastermind Qassem Soleimani. Instead of increasing unity within the regime’s ranks, Khamenei’s speech caused quite a stir.

“We cannot limit people’s voices to a specific group. It is unlikely that society will have a unified voice. “The popular demands are not only different but constantly evolving,” the state-run Etemad daily wrote on November 29, while considering the state-organized gathering on November 4 to be part of Iranian society.

“Before negotiating with the US, we should communicate with ourselves.” I am not encouraging anyone to contact the Mujahedin-e Khalq [Iran’s main opposition group]. We should speak with former presidents and parliament speakers who have shed blood and tears to keep this system alive. “If we don’t act now, we’ll be gone soon,” MP Mohammad-Reza Sabaghian said during the parliament’s public session on November 29.

“Every 40 to 50 years, governments in the Middle East fall, face serious challenges and resort to blind and bloody violence.  Why? Because these regimes are incapable of understanding their people’s demands,” he said, according to Iranian state television.

After Sabaghian speech, another MP, Jalil Rahimi Jahan-Abadi, warned his peers of the regime’s bleak future.

These warnings are consistent with what the regime’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Gahalibaf, attempted to promote as a “new way of governing.” He repeated these words less than 24 hours after Khamenei’s remarks on Sunday. “The only way out of this crisis and solving our problems is to renovate the ruling system.”

These remarks depict significant cracks in a system that Khamenei has been attempting to solidify in the face of an explosive society. In February 2020, Khamenei purged all candidates from rival factions and handpicked the parliament. This gang of thugs was chosen solely to carry out Khamenei’s mandates, not to oppose them. The regime’s Supreme Leader also eliminated all serious contenders in the subsequent presidential sham elections, paving the way for Ebrahim Raisi, a mere “yes man,” to lead the executive branch.

The national uprising in Iran has altered all equations, including the balance within the regime, as these contradictory statements highlight. The most visible manifestation of this is Khamenei’s failure to even temporarily quell infighting within his regime’s ranks, let alone the nationwide uprising.

MEK Iran (follow us on Twitter and Facebook), Maryam Rajavi’s on her site, Twitter & Facebook, NCRI  (Twitter & Facebook), and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTub