Communicative language teaching (CLT) is a method that emphasizes interaction and real-life communication in the teaching and learning process. This approach fosters a more engaging and practical learning environment by encouraging learners to actively and meaningfully use the target language in authentic contexts. This mixed-methods research aimed to explore the inconsistency between CLT and educational realities in the EFL context of Iran. It also sought to identify the factors that influence the gap between the communicative approach and educational practice in Iran. The study involved 30 university EFL/TEFL instructors from three universities in Iran. The participants' ages ranged from 29 to 54, and they were selected through convenience non-random sampling by the researcher from Azad University of Tabriz, Azad University of Tehran, South Branch, and Seraj University of Tabriz. Data were collected using the CLT questionnaire and interview questions. The analysis of the data revealed that 93.3% of teachers agreed with the student-centered and interactive nature of CLT; however, they expressed some reservations regarding its implementation in specific settings, such as large classes. While they supported the underlying principles of this teaching method, their classroom experiences showed hesitations about applying it in practice. Furthermore, interview responses indicated that contextual factors, curriculum design, assessment methods, learner-related issues, and a lack of sufficient training among teachers were the main constraints hindering implementation. The findings suggest that successful CLT implementation in Iranian higher education requires greater alignment among teacher training, classroom conditions, and assessment practices.