Rouhani and reformists are hoping that if enough IRGC hardliners die and if Mojtaba dies than someone like Hassan Khomeini or even Rouhani himself can become the next supreme leader or whatever role exists post Mojtaba era.
They are the Delcy Rodriguez that Trump and Israel are looking for. Not Qalibaf. But the problem is they don’t have enough support in the system to current overpower the hardliners. Nor do they have Mojtaba’s ear. At least his father would routinely listen to the reformist point of view.
That’s what got us into this mess, for 25 years we couldn’t commit to either being North Korea or being Post Maduro Venzenula. We ironically became like Saddam, just straddling the fence on bomb or no bomb/negotiations or no negotiations. Again this comes back to reformists (Rouhani camp), pragmatic camp (Larijani and Shamkhani camp), and Khamenai himself who bankrupted this nation without ever dashing for a bomb.
Iran should have sprinted for a bomb under Biden during the distractions of Gaza era. It was the best time to do so. US was facing high inflation and economic problems. Oil was already 100+ a barrel. If a war broke it then it would hit $150+ much more easily then. It really was the best time and a HUGE missed opportunity by Iran’s leadership that has now cost the leadership dearly.