Ex-president signals potential shift in Khamenei’s stance on US talks
Former Iranian President Hassan Rouhani suggested that Supreme Leader’s opposition to negotiations with the United States could change depending on circumstances.
“There is no absolute opposition to negotiations,” Rouhani said in a meeting with former ministers and officials on Thursday.
“Did we not negotiate with the US on Iraq, Afghanistan, and the nuclear deal? Even back then, when I was secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, the leader himself wrote that negotiations should adhere to certain principles.”
His remarks contrast with Ali Khamenei’s previous statements, particularly following Donald Trump’s outreach to Tehran, in which he ruled out talks with Washington. The Supreme Leader had also maintained that if negotiations were to happen, they would not take place during Trump’s presidency.
Rouhani linked Iran’s economic difficulties to the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018, when Washington reimposed Tehran sanctions halted under the 2015 nuclear deal.
“Since then, Iran has lost $100 billion per year,” he said. By that measure, the total economic toll would amount to $650 billion during the six and a half years since the US pullout.
Iran’s foreign minister on Thursday also signaled Tehran's willingness to engage in indirect negotiations with the United States through Oman.
During an interview with the Iran newspaper, Araghchi, when asked about using indirect channels like those in Muscat, said, "Yes, it is not a strange method, and it has happened repeatedly throughout history."
"Therefore, indirect negotiation is feasible... What is important is that the will to negotiate and reach a fair and just agreement comes up in equal conditions, and the form of it does not matter."
This apparent change came shortly after Tehran acknowledged receiving a letter from President Donald Trump, which outlined the terms of a possible agreement on Iran’s nuclear program and, potentially, other issues, including Tehran’s regional proxies.
Shifting to domestic politics, Rouhani highlighted low voter turnout in the 2024 snap presidential election, where official figures put participation at 40%.
“The most important factor in national security is having a people,” he said, adding that many who voted in the second round did so “to avoid being stuck with someone else.”
This was widely interpreted as a reference to the runoff between Masoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili. Official results have been met with skepticism, but even by the government’s own tally, the 2024 vote marked the lowest turnout in the history of the Islamic Republic.
