Iran’s Supreme Leader Supportive of Nuclear Talks

Sees 'no problem' in trying to get deal to lift sanctions

In a televised speech for Persian New Year, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke favorably about the ongoing nuclear talks. This is a substantial shift, as he had long been pessimistic on the process, and didn’t seem to expect anything to come of it.

Khamenei still spoke of the importance of his alternate track, trying to develop a level of self-sufficiency that Iran wouldn’t have to worry so much about international sanctions in the first place.

That said, Khamenei clearly saw  a point to the talks, and to trying to get sanctions relief, saying there is “no problem” with trying to reach such a deal. His support would be a big boost to getting the deal through Iran’s hardliners.

Khamenei originally gave blessing to the negotiation of the process in 2015, while hardline politicians scorned the idea from the start. When the deal weakened, Khamenei backed off his support, leaving it as a deal of the reformist politicians and giving lip-service to the narrative that the US couldn’t be trusted.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.