Rouhani: Khamenei's Stance on US Talks Might Shift

Asharq Al-Awsat

16-03-2025

Former Iranian President Hassan Rouhani suggested on Saturday that the Supreme Leader's opposition to negotiations with the United States could change depending on circumstances, describing the situation in Iran as 'dangerous.'
'Leader (Ali Khamenei) is not opposed to negotiations on the nuclear program, his position is influenced by the current circumstances, but after a few months, he may agree to negotiate under different circumstances,' Rouhani said during a meeting with former ministers.
'Did we not negotiate with the US on Iraq, Afghanistan, and the nuclear deal? Even back then, the Supreme leader was a witness and an observer,' the former President added.
Iran's Big Losses
Rouhani then listed his country's financial losses from the non-implementation of the nuclear deal.
He said since the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018, 'Iran has lost $100 billion per year.'
Rouhani described the situation in the country as 'dangerous,' especially with 'a weakened military deterrence capability, which deepened after internal disputes prevented the purchase of advanced defense systems.'
The former president then criticized the disorder of Iran's decision-making system in various fields.
He said, 'Anyone who looks from the outside understands what is happening in this country, and sees that we seem to have no plan at all.'
Rouhani also said that solving Iran's economic problems is not possible without constructive engagement with the world, according to a video posted on his website.
The video featured Mohammad Javad Zarif, who recently resigned from his post as deputy to President Masoud Pezeshkian, due to pressure from the conservative current in the Iranian parliament.
Earlier, Zarif said he negotiated with the US side on Iraq in coordination with former Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commander Qassem Soleimani.
On February 7, Khamenei said talks with the US were 'not smart, wise, or honorable,' days after US President Donald Trump said he would 'love to make a deal' with Iran.
His remarks were interpreted as orders to ban any direct talks with the US President.
Meanwhile, head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian Parliament, Ebrahim Azizi, said there was 'no point in holding talks with the US unless Iran's interests are achieved.'
'Tehran does not reject the principle of dialogue and negotiation. But we should avoid any steps that do not serve our interests,' he said.
For his part, Ali Larijani, member of the Expediency Discernment Council, said US officials have two options with dealing with Iran. 'Either to respect the shared economic interests, or fall into the trap of thinking that confrontation with Iran will be of low cost,' he said, according to Tasnim, the semi-official news agency associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Russian Mediation
In Moscow, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's Permanent Representative to international organizations in Vienna, said he had discussed Iran's nuclear program with Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
'[I've] met today with IAEA Director General Mr. Rafael Mariano Grossi. We discussed a number of issues related to the Iranian nuclear program,' the Russian diplomat wrote on X.
Russia's decision to act as an intermediary between the United States and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program reflects a conviction at the Kremlin that new ties with the Trump administration would allow both sides to lay the groundwork for a more comprehensive deal.