Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Friday that President Vladimir Putin sent a message to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei via Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to RIA Novosti.
A senior Iranian cleric warned on Friday against efforts to promote the idea that the country’s economic challenges can only be resolved through negotiations with foreign powers.
“They want people to believe that without negotiations, nothing will be fixed,” said Mohammad Mehdi Hosseini Hamedani, the Friday prayer Imam in Karaj. “Be careful not to fall into the trap of the devil and his impure agents at home.”
Without naming anyone, Hamedani said some actors repeatedly tie Iran’s economic situation to foreign engagement and say that problems will only be resolved through interaction with adversaries.
He also cautioned against repeating the experience of the 2015 nuclear deal and emphasized that Iran’s negotiating team should act with care and vigilance.
Hamedani urged the public to focus on domestic production, support local industry, and remain patient. “We must invest in ourselves,” he said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that Tehran hopes Russia will play a role in any potential agreement arising from its indirect talks with the United States.
Speaking during a visit to Moscow, Araghchi said Tehran is keeping Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov informed of the negotiations. “We hope Russia will continue to play a constructive role in any potential agreement,” he said, adding that China is also being kept updated.
“A deal is possible if the other side refrains from making unrealistic and unreasonable demands,” he said.
Araghchi also expressed hope that Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Tehran later this year, following an official invitation extended by Iran.
A senior Iranian cleric said on Friday that trust in the country’s nuclear negotiations should be placed only in God, not in foreign powers.
“Don’t tie your hearts to anyone but God in these negotiations,” said Ahmad Khatami, Tehran’s Friday prayer leader. “Negotiations do not matter, put your trust in the one who has always shown kindness to us.”
Speaking during Friday prayers, Khatami said the ongoing indirect talks with the United States are limited strictly to the nuclear file. “There have been no talks beyond the nuclear issue – and there won’t be,” he said.
"In the negotiations, we have three red lines: enrichment, defense and missile issues, and regional presence," he added.
Khatami said, "Trump said in his book that negotiations should be based on fear and intimidation: we are not people who are afraid."
He also said the decision to engage in indirect negotiations was consistent with Quranic guidance, provided it is done from a position of strength.
Iranian media offer conflicting accounts of the country’s talks with the US, reflecting a fractured narrative and growing confusion.
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