"Khamenei's position is surely weakened," Arash Azizi, who unveiled an alleged plot against the supreme leader, told Newsweek.

JUST OVER a week ago it seemed as if Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, might be part of a breakthrough with America. Talks involving the two countries were approaching decision-hour. The Americans were offering to lift sanctions in exchange for Iran rolling back its nuclear programme.