Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, is distancing himself from the recent agreement with the United States. He clarified that his negotiators were limited in granting concessions to what he described as “the enemy.”
In his initial public remarks concerning the deal, shared through a statement on Thursday, Khamenei acknowledged approving the agreement but disagreed with formally endorsing it on principle. He refrained from providing further details. The agreement grants Iran significant economic benefits but postpones negotiations on the nuclear program to a later date.
Khamenei explained that the decision to authorize the agreement came after Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, assumed responsibility for it. Pezeshkian pledged to safeguard Iranian rights and the “resistance front,” likely referencing Hezbollah, a militant group supported by Iran and engaged in conflict with Israel.
Khamenei noted Pezeshkian’s explicit stance against succumbing to excessive demands from the American side. He also commended Iran’s diplomats while criticizing President Trump, stating the agreement was reached “out of desperation.”
The supreme leader effectively shifted responsibility for the agreement to Iran’s elected government. Iran’s system combines elected entities with limited power compared to the authoritative theocratic elements, including the supreme leader, a religious figure.
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