Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has disclosed that he authorised the recently signed agreement between Iran and the United States aimed at ending the Middle East conflict, even though he initially held reservations about the arrangement.
In a message broadcast on Iranian state television on Thursday, Khamenei said his decision was based on assurances provided by President Masoud Pezeshkian and members of the country’s security leadership that Iran’s national interests would be safeguarded throughout the process.
“In principle, I had a different view (about the memorandum of understanding), but I issued my permission due to the commitment that the honourable (Iranian) president, as the chairman of the Supreme National Security Council, gave me on behalf of himself and other members to protect the rights of the Iranian nation and the Resistance Front,” Khamenei said in message read on state television.
The statement marks Khamenei’s first public reaction to the peace agreement signed by Iranian President Pezeshkian and U.S. President Donald Trump, which formally brought an end to the regional conflict that erupted earlier this year.
The 56-year-old cleric assumed Iran’s highest leadership position in March following the death of his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the opening phase of the U.S.-Israeli military strikes on Iran on February 28. The attacks triggered a wider conflict across the Middle East and significantly heightened tensions throughout the region.
Although Khamenei endorsed the agreement, he suggested that Washington had aggressively pursued the deal and portrayed the outcome as a product of American pressure rather than Iranian concession.
According to him, Trump had “used all kinds of levers” to secure the deal “out of desperation”.
The Iranian leader further revealed that he had been reassured by President Pezeshkian that Tehran would not accept any arrangement that undermined its sovereignty or national interests.
In his message, Khamenei noted that he received assurances from Pezeshkian about the deal and that it would not be accepted “if the American side wants to make excessive demands”.
While expressing support for continued diplomatic engagement, he stressed that future discussions with Washington should not be interpreted as acceptance of American positions or policies.
“It is obvious that the face-to-face negotiations that will be held in the future will not mean accepting the enemy’s point of view,” he added.
The remarks provide fresh insight into the internal deliberations that preceded the signing of the accord and underscore the cautious approach Iran’s leadership intends to adopt as both countries move into a new phase of direct engagement following months of conflict.
(Ripples)