Washington DC, April 21 -- A new assessment by the Institute for the Study of War has pointed to deepening divisions within Iran's leadership, as diplomatic tensions and military pressure between the United States and Iran continue to mount before the second round of Islamabad Talks.

The Washington DC-based think tank said, "Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf appears to be engaged in a serious intra-regime debate with Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Major General Ahmad Vahidi and other senior regime officials opposed to negotiations with the United States."

The analysis highlighted a growing rift betweencand Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Major General Ahmad Vahidi over the quest...