Iran's supreme leader says he authorized deal, direct talks with U.S.
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Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran in 2024. Photo: Hamed Jafarnejad/ISNA/AFP via Getty Images
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei authorized Iranian negotiators to conduct direct talks with the U.S. but stressed it "does not signify acceptance of the enemy's views".
Why it matters: Khamenei's comments in a written statement in his Telegram channel were his first response to the signing of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU).
- Iranian negotiators have been waiting for his public "green light" before heading to Switzerland for a first round of negotiations with the U.S. planned for Friday or Saturday.
Behind the scenes: The Iranian supreme leader, who was wounded in an Israeli strike on his father's residence during the opening days of the war, has not been seen or heard publicly since.
- In his written message, Khamenei said he opposed signing the memorandum of understanding with the U.S. but authorized it at the recommendation of President Masoud Pezeshkian and the country's Supreme National Security Council.
- "Based on the commitment given to me by the honorable President, acting in his capacity as Chairman of the Supreme National Security Council, on behalf of himself and the other members, to safeguard the rights of the Iranian nation and the Axis of Resistance - and his explicit acceptance of responsibility for doing so - I authorized it", Khamenei wrote.
- The Iranian supreme leader praised the officials who have been involved in the negotiations over the MOU and said they did it "out of concern and goodwill". He claimed Pezeshkian and the rest of the officials who supported the deal have committed that "if the American side seeks excessive concessions, they will not submit to them".
- On the other hand, Khamenei claimed President Trump signed the deal "out of desperation."
Between the lines: Raz Zimmt, director of the Iran Program at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) told Axios that Khamenei's statement can be interpreted as an endorsement of continued negotiations with the United States.
- "At the same time, much like his father, he appears careful to preserve a degree of political insulation that would allow him to place responsibility for any potential failure on the president", Zimmt said.
- Zimmt said that if the negotiations produce an agreement favorable to Iran, Khamenei will be able to claim credit. But if it fails, he and his supporters will be able to argue that he never truly supported the negotiations or the deal, and put the blame on president Pezeshkian.
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