Expert: Split in power brewing in Iran, fierce struggle underway

A split among the authorities is brewing or has already occurred in Iran, as evidenced by the arrest of Ali Khamenei's niece Farida Muradkhani, Deputy Director of the Ukrainian Center for Middle East Studies Serhiy Danilov said.

Report informs that, according to Danilov, this fact is very indicative from the point of view of the situation in Iran.

"Khamenei's flank is part of a continuum of people who are close to or are in power. Based on those scanty news reports, one can conclude that a split is brewing or has already occurred within the ruling group. This is a very important signal for the protesters and those who follow the situation in Iran," Danilov added.

He recalled that popular protests continue in the country. The division of the elites plays an important role in this process. Another, albeit optional, component is that the army or part of the army may take the side of the participants in the protests, but this has not yet happened.

"This is the evidence of the state in which the ruling groups and those close to them are - a fierce internal struggle," Danilov noted.