(CNN) — Iran’s political divisions have deepened following the funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, where hardline supporters turned their anger towards senior officials who negotiated a ceasefire agreement with the United States.

As President Masoud Pezeshkian walked alongside Khamenei’s coffin in Tehran last week, some mourners reportedly chanted “death to the compromiser” at him rather than paying tribute to the late leader.

Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, who helped negotiate the ceasefire and the lifting of some sanctions, was forced to leave the funeral after a crowd threw rocks at him while accusing him of being a “traitorous sellout”.

The incidents reflect a growing belief among Iran’s most radical factions that the country’s wartime leaders are attempting a soft coup against the Islamic Republic and its revolutionary principles.

Hardliners claim officials who negotiated with Washington have weakened Iran’s position and acted against the wishes of the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s son and successor.

However, Mojtaba Khamenei has remained largely out of public view, with neither direct addresses to the nation nor visible displays of authority since taking the position. Some officials and analysts have questioned the reason for his absence, although no official explanation has been provided.

With the new supreme leader largely unseen, Chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, President Pezeshkian and Araghchi have become the most visible figures leading post-war Iran.

Iran expert Arash Azizi told CNN that the absence of Mojtaba Khamenei has fuelled accusations among ultra-hardliners that Ghalibaf and Pezeshkian are attempting to consolidate power.

“Mojtaba’s continued absence means that they don’t have access to him and also that Ghalibaf and allies are effectively in charge of the country,” Azizi said.

Hardline lawmaker Mahmoud Nabavian questioned whether a coup was underway in Iran days before Khamenei’s funeral, writing on X: “Warning to the people of Iran: Is a coup on the way?”

He later said supporters would “stand firm against the coup” while calling for revenge for Khamenei’s death.

The funeral, held after Khamenei was killed in Israeli airstrikes coordinated with the United States in late February, became a major gathering point for Iran’s most hardline supporters.

Despite calls for unity during wartime, some used the event to demand renewed conflict with Washington and reject any agreement with the Trump administration.

The fragile ceasefire between Iran and the US has since come under renewed pressure after attacks by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, followed by retaliatory strikes from Washington.

Before the latest escalation, hardliners had openly criticised officials involved in the ceasefire negotiations.

During a public ceremony, Mohammad Ali Bakhshi, a religious singer with ties to the regime, issued a direct threat against Pezeshkian, saying: “If the leader’s conditions are not fulfilled, then it will be us, the blade and your throat.”

The comments were widely condemned, but Bakhshi has not been reported to have faced legal consequences.

Other officials facing criticism include Ghalibaf, a former Revolutionary Guard commander who gained influence during the conflict and emerged as a key figure in Iran’s wartime leadership.

Hardline parliamentarian Kamran Ghazanfari accused officials of attempting to weaken the authority of the supreme leader and parliament by increasing the influence of the Supreme Council for National Security.

“This is the political coup they have designed and are carrying out step by step,” he said.

Iran’s leadership has also begun sidelining some hardline figures. Nabavian, one of the leading voices opposing the agreement with the US, was removed from parliament’s National Security Commission along with another critic of the deal.

Nabavian and others are associated with the “Jebhe-ye Paydari” (Endurance Front), a hardline movement that views itself as a defender of the values of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Analysts say senior officials are attempting to reduce the influence of these groups because their public divisions are creating additional instability.

“We’re seeing Ghalibaf exerting influence to sideline these hardline elements,” Hamidreza Azizi of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs told CNN.

Although the group represents a minority of Iran’s population, its members hold influential positions in parliament and state media.

One prominent hardline figure, former national security chief Saeed Jalili, received more than 13 million votes in Iran’s 2024 presidential election.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly described Iran as deeply divided, arguing that internal disputes have complicated negotiations. However, analysts say Iran’s leadership remains united around key goals, including ending the conflict while securing sanctions relief and maintaining control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Still, the continued absence of Mojtaba Khamenei, uncertainty over the ceasefire, and the growing influence of the Revolutionary Guards have strengthened hardliners calling for continued confrontation with the United States and Israel.

Former Iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki has called for further military action, suggesting Iran seize American soldiers from regional bases as a response.