Tehran/Washington, DC: He authorised the agreement between his country and the US despite having a “different view” on the matter, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has said.
He welcomed the agreement to end the conflict in West Asia, but maintained that he had reservations.
Signed by US president Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, the agreement has set in motion a 60-day period during which both countries are expected to discuss broader issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme.
Khamenei, while addressing the Iranian people, said the deal was approved after senior Iranian officials, led by president Masoud Pezeshkian in his capacity as head of the Supreme National Security Council, assured him that the country’s rights and interests would be protected, as reported by Hindustan Times.
“As you have been informed, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the presidents of Iran and America,” Khamenei said, adding that Iranian officials had made “extensive efforts” to reach the agreement.
He also attacked Washington, claiming that “it was the American president who, out of desperation, used all kinds of leverage to bring this about.”
“I, as a matter of principle, held a different view; however, out of the commitment that the esteemed president-as the head of the Supreme National Security Council-gave to me on his own behalf and on behalf of the other members regarding the safeguarding of the rights of the Iranian nation and the Resistance Front, and his explicit acceptance of that responsibility, I granted my permission,” Khamenei said.
Iranian officials had assured him they would not accept any additional demands from the United States, he added.
“He (Iranian President) also explicitly stated that if the American side seeks to make excessive demands, they will not submit to them,” Khamenei said.
“However, it is self-evident that the in-person negotiations that will take place in the future will not mean acceptance of the enemy’s position,” the supreme leader added.
While the agreement has been signed, there remains uncertainty over the next phase of diplomacy. It had earlier been announced that both countries would meet in Switzerland on Friday for a signing ceremony and discussions. However, neither side has firmly confirmed the plans.
US vice president J D Vance said he expected to travel to Switzerland for “technical negotiations” with Iran “this weekend”, rather than on Friday, while noting that plans could still change, news agency AFP reported.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that “nothing has been confirmed” regarding a trip by the Iranian delegation.
Direct negotiations are particularly significant as the two countries have not maintained diplomatic relations since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
While it remains to be seen whether the deal brings about lasting peace, one of the most immediate effects has been the easing of tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes.
While the US military announced that American forces had lifted the naval blockade of Iranian ports, allowing ships to resume movement, it maintained that US warships would continue to remain in the wider region.
Three Saudi oil tankers exited the Gulf through the Strait on Thursday, maritime tracking data revealed, while the LNG vessel Mraikh became the first French liquefied natural gas carrier to pass through since the conflict began.
Ships seeking passage through the Strait of Hormuz must now apply through a newly established government body responsible for overseeing traffic in the waterway, Iranian state television reported.
“No fees whatsoever will be collected from applicants for a period of sixty days,” the Supreme National Security Council said in a statement, cited by state media.
Under the MoU’s terms, Washington will remove oil sanctions that have weighed heavily on the Iranian economy.
Once a final understanding is reached regarding Iran’s nuclear programme, the United States will facilitate the release of a $300 billion reconstruction fund backed by regional countries, the document states.
