Ex-security chief and president’s team in turf war over Iran’s nuclear talks

Within the span of 24 hours, confusion has emerged in Iran over who is leading any potential nuclear negotiations, even as the president and senior officials press for talks with Washington.

In what appears to be a brewing turf war, former security chief Ali Shamkhani and President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration are publicly asserting their control over the nuclear file and potential negotiations with Washington.

First, the state-run IRNA news agency and the government’s information office on Monday, both controlled by the presidential administration, referred to Shamkhani, the former head of the Supreme National Security Council, as overseeing the nuclear file while reporting on his visit to a nuclear exhibition.

The following day, the Rouydad24 news website, not under direct state control, quoted the foreign ministry’s information office in an article stating that the ministry remains in charge of all negotiations related to Iran’s nuclear issue.

"The responsibility for conducting talks and negotiations on the nuclear issue remains with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as before. This process is managed by the honorable minister and carried out by the political and international legal departments. Naturally, the formulation of negotiation strategies and coordination between relevant institutions continues to be handled by the Supreme National Security Council," Rouydad24's report quoted the foreign ministry.

Some experts would interpret this statement as reflecting the foreign ministry’s view that it should lead the nuclear negotiations, while the national security council should set broader policies and potentially determine the key issues and parameters of the talks.

The Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) is Iran's principal decision-making body on national security issues, which includes defense, foreign policy, and intelligence matters.

In December 2024, Ali Shamkhani, who served as secretary of the SNSC from 2013 to 2023, declared himself a key decision-maker on Iran's global strategy and nuclear diplomacy.

"I have been entrusted with the project of determining Iran's position in the global order," he said at the time, after having left the SNSC.

Shamkhani's statement, many experts would ascertain, likely came with the Supreme Leader's approval.

The Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, insists that there has been no change in the leadership of nuclear negotiations. While the SNSC sets overall policy, the ministry remains responsible for conducting nuclear diplomacy.

Previously, government's spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani had seemingly rejected the notion that Shamkhani would be at the helm of nuclear negotiations, saying, "Ask the Atomic Energy Organization who is responsible for the nuclear file."

In the face of such contradiction, Iran experts may view Shamkhani as a representative of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on major foreign policy matters—given that Khamenei is the ultimate authority in the country.

It is unlikely, however, that the presidential administration or Shamkhani himself would publicly acknowledge this.