Khamenei Nixes U.S. Negotiations, Sparks Rumors of Pezeshkian’s Resignation

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has once again recalibrated his strategic posture concerning diplomatic engagement with the United States. In a January 28 address, he appeared to tacitly endorse diplomatic negotiations with Washington. However, on February 7, Khamenei asserted that engaging in negotiations with President Donald J. Trump’s administration is “neither wise and intelligent, nor is it honorable.” The rationale behind this apparent policy shift remains unclear, though some Iranian analysts speculate it may be a reaction to Trump’s recent presidential memorandum. Khamenei’s statements have also fueled speculation regarding President Masoud Pezeshkian’s purported threats to resign, in protest of Khamenei’s opposition to negotiations. The statements have also reignited a contentious discourse in which both proponents and opponents of diplomatic engagement with the United States selectively interpret Khamenei’s remarks to advance their respective political narratives.  

• February 7: Addressing Iranian air force commanders, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei articulated his position on negotiations with the United States in remarks published on his website:  
  • “Negotiating with the United States has no effect on solving the problems of the country. We must understand this properly. Nobody should pretend that negotiations with this or that government solve the country’s problems. No, no problem will be solved through negotiations with the United States. The reason? In the 2010s, we negotiated with the United States for two years, and it was not just the United States. There were also other countries, but the negotiations were mainly with the United States. At the time, our government engaged in negotiations – they went and came back, convened for meetings, negotiated, talked, laughed, shook hands, and befriended each other. They did all sorts of things and reached an agreement” – the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. “In this agreement, the Iranian party was very generous and granted numerous concessions to the counterpart. But the Americans did not uphold their commitments. This gentleman who is now in office,” referring to President Donald J. Trump, “tore the agreement to pieces. He had said he would do it, and he did it. They did not deliver. Even before this person, they did not act in accordance with the agreement. The agreement was intended to remove U.S. sanctions, but they were not lifted. The agreement also contains a painful mechanism,” referring to the so-called snapback mechanism, “through which the United Nations remains an ever-present danger to Iran. This is the result of two years of negotiations. Well, this is our experience. Let us use this experience. We negotiated and made concessions but did not achieve our objective. However, the counterpart even sabotaged this agreement with all of its deficiencies. One must not negotiate with such a government. Negotiating is neither wise and intelligent, nor is it honorable. Of course, we have problems in the country, and nobody is denying this, particularly regarding the people’s livelihood … but what solves those problems is work that can be done within Iran.” 
• February 7: Gholam-Reza Sadeqian, chief editor of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps mouthpiece Javan, wrote in an editorial:
  • “The leader of the revolution has articulated his stance on negotiations with the United States in unequivocal terms … The Cabinet must, without delay, align its position with that of the leader to preserve internal cohesion. However, we can expect certain factions within the government to resist this directive,” referring to the reformist camp, “and potentially even encourage President Pezeshkian to resign.”
• February 7: Hesam al-Din Ashena, a presidential advisor to former President Hassan Rouhani, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter:
  • “Interpretation: Negotiations with the United States must be conducted in an intelligent, wise, and honorable manner, and they must yield tangible benefits in addressing the country’s challenges.”
• February 7: Mehdi Fazaeli, an employee of the Office of the Preservation and Propagation of the Works of His Holiness Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, immediately responded to Ashena on X: “Clear distortion.”
• February 7: Akbar Alami, a reformist and former parliamentarian, posted on his Telegram channel:
  • “His Excellency has not categorically closed the door to negotiations between Iran and the United States but is instead employing negotiation tactics.”
• February 7: The Seda-ye Hashemi Telegram channel, which is associated with late Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, in a direct critique of Khamenei’s rationale, published a post under the headline: “Foreign Policy or Historical Stubbornness.” The post continued:
  • “If we follow this logic,” that Iran should not negotiate with Trump due to his withdrawal from the JCPOA, “why did the Islamic Republic negotiate with Saddam Hussein in 1990? Had he not also reneged on his obligations under the 1975 Algiers Agreement before launching an invasion of Iran?”
• February 7: Ali Gholhaki, a hard-line journalist and critic of Pezeshkian’s foreign policy, wrote on X:
  • “The leader’s statements must be understood within the broader geopolitical and regional context. It may be a response to recent covert communications received or to new sanctions targeting Iran’s oil exports to China, both of which have exacerbated tensions. Alternatively, Tehran may be preparing a strategic maneuver,” possibly alluding to Iran’s nuclear program.
• February 8: Ali Ahmadnia, the Cabinet’s public relations director, dismissed rumors of Pezeshkian’s resignation in a post on X.
• February 8: Nour News Agency, which has ties to the Supreme National Security Council, published an editorial reflecting Khamenei’s latest position, emphasizing “unity” and the necessity of “speaking with a single voice” on foreign policy matters.
• February 8: Columnist Mohammad-Javad Akhavan, writing for Javan, accused the reformists of suffering from “political Alzheimer’s” disease and urged them to examine Trump’s presidential memorandum to understand how the United States is “systematically undermining Iran’s national strength.”
• February 8: Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Qalibaf, addressing IRGC commanders, was quoted by the economic newspaper Donya-ye Eqtesad saying:
  • “Yesterday, the supreme leader of the revolution articulated a definitive stance on negotiations, and the president and Cabinet members must execute their duties in accordance with his directives.”
  • “Trump is the killer of martyr Suleimani,” a reference to Quds Force commander Qassim Suleimani. “When the leader of the revolution declares that ‘negotiating with the United States is not honorable,’ he is underscoring this reality. It is also a direct response to the executive order and strategic directive signed by Trump, which explicitly calls for Iran’s disarmament in the realms of missile capabilities, the nuclear, and other military dimensions.”
• February 9: Columnist Morteza Simiari claimed in Javan that reformist political actors are attempting to pressure Pezeshkian into resigning – or at least threaten resignation – over Khamenei’s opposition to negotiations with the United States:
  • “This approach seeks to plunge the country into a deep political crisis, which will inevitably lead to internal unrest.”

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