Iran’s Supreme Leader Optimistic on Nuclear Deal

Says Iran's future should not depend on the single deal

Following a meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei offered a rare assessment of the Vienna talks on the nuclear deal, and being unusually upbeat.

Khamenei said the talks are “going ahead properly,” despite US officials repeatedly saying that a deal may not result from all the discussions. Iranian Foreign Ministry officials have conceded that a deal might not happen as well.

Khamenei appeared to acknowledge that possibility as well, saying he does not want the negotiators disrupted by such statements, and that he doesn’t believe that the future of Iran should depend on this single deal.

Since no one can control the outcome of these talks, that’s a nice thought, but Iran is in economic trouble as it is, and a failure to get sanctions relief out of these talks will definitely have long-term ramifications on Iran.

Khamenei’s calls to continue to advance the negotiations are still impactful, and virtually preclude hardliner factions opposed to the deal from trying to undermine the talks, since the ayatollah is giving them de facto endorsement.

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.