In an uncommon move, senior Iranian officials recently pressed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to approve renewed discussions with the United States concerning Iran’s nuclear ambitions, warning that failure to negotiate could lead to the downfall of the Islamic Republic, according to a report from The New York Times published Friday.
The Biden administration and Iranian representatives are slated to meet in Oman on Shabbos to address concerns over Iran’s advancing nuclear program.
Sources cited by The New York Times said that Khamenei hosted a high-level meeting last month with Iran’s judiciary and parliament leadership. During that session, the officials united in urging him to approve talks with the United States—even direct ones—despite prior resistance.
They warned Khamenei that the likelihood of American and Israeli military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities had become very real. “If Iran refused talks or if the negotiations failed, the officials told Mr. Khamenei, military strikes on Iran’s two main nuclear sites, Natanz and Fordow, would be inevitable,” the sources said, as reported by the Times.
The officials expressed that Iran, already mired in deep economic hardship, would be forced to retaliate, potentially setting off widespread internal turmoil if a war erupted.
They reportedly told Khamenei that the compounded impact of such developments could present a grave threat to the regime’s survival.
One of the voices warning of this scenario was Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and now speaker of Parliament, who cautioned that war, coupled with economic collapse, might spiral beyond control.
President Masoud Pezeshkian also voiced concern, reportedly telling Khamenei that the regime was nearing a breaking point. The Times highlighted severe power outages affecting factories and water shortages that recently forced the closure of schools and government buildings in Yazd as examples of the growing crisis.
Though Iran had previously rejected the idea of renewed talks, that position shifted in the face of pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration and threats of military action.
Hossein Mousavian, once a lead nuclear negotiator for Iran and now a scholar at Princeton University, told the Times that Khamenei’s decision reflects his core political philosophy. “Mr. Khamenei’s turnaround demonstrates his long-held core principle that ‘preserving the regime is the most necessary of the necessities,’” Mousavian said.
Though the Supreme Leader gave a green light for the negotiations, he set certain boundaries, according to the report.
Citing three Iranian insiders, the paper said Khamenei was willing to consider stringent oversight of the nuclear program and scaling back uranium enrichment. However, he refused to entertain any discussion over Iran’s missile capabilities, calling them an essential part of the country’s defense—a condition described as a “deal breaker.”
The report also noted that Iran was open to addressing its activities across the region, including its backing of terror groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
Since the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on southern Israel, both Hamas and Hezbollah have suffered heavy blows at the hands of the IDF. Simultaneously, the U.S. has continued launching strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.
President Trump has made clear that Iran will not be permitted to acquire a nuclear weapon, repeatedly issuing strong warnings of “bombing” and a “very bad day for Iran” should an agreement not be reached.
Although the Islamic Republic insists it does not seek a nuclear bomb, it has significantly increased uranium enrichment to 60 percent—a level that serves no civilian purpose—and has hindered access for international nuclear watchdogs.
On Friday, Iranian officials signaled that they are earnestly approaching the negotiations and believe a deal may be within reach—provided the U.S. avoids further threats. They stated that the process has “a good possibility of reaching an accord.”
According to Iranian state media, Saturday’s talks will be led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for Iran and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, with Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi acting as a mediator.
President Trump has described the planned discussions as “direct,” but Iranian authorities insist they will engage only through indirect channels.
Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Khamenei, confirmed on X that Araghchi was traveling to Oman “with full authority for indirect negotiations with America.”
“Tehran seeks a real, just deal—away from media show and rhetoric. Key proposals are ready. If Washington shows determination for a deal, the path to agreement will be clear,” he wrote in a multilingual post including Farsi, English, Arabic, Russian, and Hebrew.
In a statement issued Friday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry called on the U.S. to respect Tehran’s willingness to enter negotiations, criticizing what it described as America’s aggressive tone.
Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Iran was “giving diplomacy a genuine chance in good faith and full vigilance,” and added, “America should appreciate this decision, which was made despite their hostile rhetoric.”
{Matzav.com}