Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has broken his silence following the electronic signing of the historic US-Iran memorandum of understanding, claiming that US President Donald Trump used “all sorts of levers” out of desperation to force an agreement.
The high-stakes statement, issued in writing from an undisclosed location on Thursday, marks the Supreme Leader’s first official response since Pakistani and Qatari mediators announced the finalisation of the 14-point peace framework.
Khamenei, who assumed leadership following the assassination of his father in late February, downplayed Washington’s diplomatic positioning, framing the newly brokered 60-day ceasefire as a strategic necessity for an anxious White House rather than a capitulation by Tehran.
According to the Iranian leader, the Trump administration resorted to extreme economic blockades and military posturing during the recent 100-day war after standard American foreign policy levers failed to produce a decisive breakthrough.
He alleged that Trump pursued the deal “out of weakness and need,” driven by domestic pressure to stabilise global energy markets and lower oil prices ahead of the upcoming political cycle.
Khamenei also acknowledged that he had personally harboured reservations about the agreement, stating that he had initially held a different view on the memorandum.
“I, as a matter of principle, held a different view,” he said, adding that he ultimately granted approval based on assurances from Iran’s president that the rights of the Iranian nation and the Resistance Front would be protected.
He further warned that Iran would not accept any attempt by Washington to go beyond the agreed terms.
“If the American side seeks to make excessive demands, they will not submit to them,” he said, while addressing Iranians directly and referring to himself as “this humble servant,” urging the public to await the fulfilment of the stated conditions.
The Supreme Leader’s remarks appear designed to pacify hardline factions inside Iran who have reacted with anger to leaks suggesting Tehran agreed in principle to dispose of its highly enriched uranium stockpile and allow strict international inspections.
By framing the agreement as a product of American desperation, the Iranian clerical establishment is seeking to present the deal domestically as a geopolitical victory.
However, the statement comes at a highly sensitive moment as both nations prepare for a formal signing ceremony in Switzerland.
(The Whistler)