Iran International
Several politicians and commentators in Iran have indicated that president Masoud Pezeshkian has received approval from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Supreme National Security Council to initiate negotiations with the United States.
However, none of these "supreme" authorities have officially confirmed that they have authorized negotiations with the United States regarding Iran's nuclear program or other contentious issues, such as Tehran's interventions in regional countries.
In recent days, Pezeshkian has conveyed Tehran's willingness to engage in talks with the U.S., but Khamenei’s hardline allies have strongly criticized both his remarks and those of other officials. This has raised an important question: Does the President have Khamenei’s approval to pursue negotiations with the Trump administration?
It is widely acknowledged in Iranian politics that Khamenei holds ultimate authority over military and foreign policy, meaning his full approval would be necessary for the President to initiate significant negotiations with major powers.
Foreign policy analyst Abdolreza Faraji-Rad told the Khabar Online website in Tehran, "When Iran's President or other senior officials express readiness to negotiate with the United States, it does not imply that they made that decision independently. Rather, it signals that the issue has already been discussed at the Supreme National Security Council," which is the country's highest-ranking decision-making body after Supreme Leader Khamenei.
Faraji-Rad noted that failing to negotiate with Trump would likely lead the United States to increase pressure on Iran and further sanctions would be imposed on Iran's oil exports. He argued that initiating negotiations would be the right course of action. He also suggested that the Iranian Foreign Ministry would likely be assigned the responsibility of advancing these talks.
Meanwhile, he criticized the government's political rivals for hindering its initiative. However, the Iranian government has yet to take any practical steps in this direction, even though hardliners in Iran remained largely silent on the issue during the first two days following Trump’s inauguration.
Former lawmaker Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh expressed pessimism on Tuesday, suggesting that Pezeshkian might not yet have the necessary approval. However, by Wednesday, Falahatpisheh appeared to soften his stance, writing about Europe’s potential role as a mediator in talks with Washington.
Meanwhile, while the ultraconservatives were generally silent during the past two days, some other elements such as Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib fueled doubts about whether Pezeshkian has the go-ahead for negotiations. Khatib warned against yielding to calls for negotiations with the Trump administration, saying "it could leave Tehran at a disadvantage."
Reformist politician and commentator Fayyaz Zahed also shared with the press in Tehran that, based on his assessment of the relationship between the President and the Supreme Leader, "Pezeshkian has received the green light to initiate negotiations." He added that "Pezeshkian is now seeking a dignified way to carry out this task."
Under growing regional and economic pressure over the past six months, the Islamic Republic has been mocked by opposition groups and many Iranians on social media for wasting decades and hundreds of billions of dollars on its controversial nuclear program and meddling in regional countries. These policies, they argue, have resulted in years of devastating sanctions. Now, with Donald Trump at the helm, critics highlight that the authorities are forced to appeal for talks with Washington.
Zahed added, "All politicians in Iran have reached the conclusion that the country's foreign policy strategy needs to be revised." He continued, "There is currently no obstacle to the decision to negotiate." Additionally, Zahed described Pezeshkian's ultraconservative political rivals as "cartoon characters inflated like balloons."
Former Labor Minister Mohammad Salamati told the press, "Pezeshkian has the backing of the entire political system in his call to start negotiations with America." Highlighting that Trump is also open to dialogue with Iran, Salamati added, "It is now up to us to take the initiative, start direct negotiations with Washington, and strive for favorable outcomes."
He also noted, "Pezeshkian's political rivals cannot prevent this as long as the President has the nation's support." Additionally, Salamati remarked, "Even the Vietnamese secured concessions through negotiations with the United States after the Vietnam War."
Pro-reform Arman Melli Daily suggested that Europe could play a key mediation role in the talks between Tehran and Washington, while the centrist Daily cautioned that Pezeshkian's domestic political rivals pose a greater threat than Trump. Meanwhile, Ham Mihan noted that with Trump’s return, Iran’s foreign policy has entered one of its most complex periods. The report emphasized, however, that Iran must engage in serious negotiations with the United States, as the country faces one of its most severe economic crises.
Despite the silence on future ties with the US, conservative outlets prominently featured the event, with headlines dominating the dailies.
Some hardliners, such as Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi acknowledged that Trump’s presidency is likely to have profound implications for the future of the Islamic Republic.
Iran Daily, a known conduit for the Pezeshkian administration, emphasized in its detailed coverage there is still an opportunity for opening negotiations with Washington.
"Trump may choose a different policy regarding Iran, as the maximum pressure strategy failed under Biden," one of its reports read.
It omitted mention of critics' claims that US sanctions were not fully enforced during Joe Biden's presidency, which allowed Iran to boost oil exports to China and generate over $100 billion in revenue between 2021 and 2024.
In the reformist camp, both Etemad and centrist Kargozaran newspapers expressed caution about the changes in the US administration.
"The Trump administration's hardline stance on immigration is likely to create additional challenges for Iranians living in the United States," a report for Etemad noted, adding, "The new US administration will likely demand that Iran cease uranium enrichment and scale back its regional activities."
Kargozaran wrote that many attendees at the inauguration parties were "radical right-wing elements," noting that, "The entire world is watching Trump’s return with fear and concern."
Tehran's leading economic daily, Donyaye Eghtesad, presented three potential strategies for Iran in its dealings with the Trump administration: first, military confrontation, which would result in significant losses for Iran; second, rejecting negotiations, which would likely lead to maximum pressure and worsening economic hardship; and third, engaging in negotiations and direct cooperation, offering the possibility of tangible benefits for Iran.
One of the most hardline anti-US dailies, Kayhan, which had previously called for Pezeshkian to "try to kill Trump," remained silent on Tuesday.
It did, however, criticize the "tight security measures" at the inauguration ceremony.
Affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Javan newspaper refrained from commenting on the potential implications of the change in US leadership for Iran and instead provided a summary of Donald Trump's first term in office.
Another conservative daily, Jam-e Jam, criticized "Trump's unilateralism" and his views about Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal.
Jomhouri Eslami, a conservative newspaper founded in 1979 by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was the only conservative outlet to suggest that "Iran should take a lesson from the past and change its behavior and the way it interacts with the world."
While the publication offered this perspective, Kayhan, rather than Jomhouri Eslami, more frequently reflects Khamenei's views.
When it came to online outlets, reformist site Rouydad24 noted that nearly all segments of Iranian politics—ranging from government officials to hardliners, and even radical figures—are signaling openness to negotiations with the United States. Rouydad24 highlighted former ultraconservative lawmaker Javad Karimi Qoddousi, a staunch anti-US politician, as one of the radicals who appears to have shifted his stance on negotiations.
"Mr. Khamenei said many years ago that cutting off ties with America should not continue forever," the article quoted him as saying.
Conservative Nameh News also quoted hardliner Hossein Naqavi-Hosseini, who said, "Our problems will not be solved if we ignore the United States." Naqavi-Hosseini suggested that continued tensions with the US are likely to lead to even greater economic challenges for Iran. He added, "Iran's President and other officials have a plan for negotiations with America."
Nameh News also noted that former conservative MP Ali Motahhari said this week that "Iran should start negotiations with Washington and even be prepared to resume relations with America."
Tehran-based websites reported that reformist commentator Ahmad Zeidabadi addressed Pezeshkian in an article on his Telegram channel, urging immediate negotiations.
"Mr. Pezeshkian! What are you waiting for? The solution for lifting the sanctions is clear," he wrote. Zeidabadi also took a sarcastic jab, recalling Pezeshkian's suggestion during his recent visit to Russia that Iran, Russia, and China should join forces to sanction the United States.
