Proposals to end uranium enrichment and halt the country’s missile program were misguided and unrealistic, said a senior member of the office of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei amid intensified internal debate over the country's policies.
“Unfortunately some at home prescribe fake remedies. They say: ‘do not chant death to America, stop enrichment, halt missiles, and the problem will be solved," said Mehdi Fazaeli.
"These prescriptions, especially at this time and after past experiences, are not only very simplistic but even foolish,” he added in an interview with the Gurads-linked Fars News Agency on Saturday night.
His remarks came after a coalition of 27 reformist organizations urged the Islamic Republic to signal readiness to suspend enrichment and allow full International Atomic Energy Agency monitoring in exchange for lifting sanctions.
In their words, “Iran’s social fabric was deeply wounded, with public life overshadowed by despair and anxiety.” The group said such a step could lead to “comprehensive, direct negotiations with the United States and normalization of relations.”
Khamenei ruled out direct talks with Washington in late August. “Those who say, ‘Don’t chant slogans against America, they’ll get upset and become hostile toward you,’ are superficial. Those who argue, ‘Why don’t you negotiate directly with the United States and solve your problems?’ are, in my view, also superficial. That’s not the reality of the matter; this issue cannot be resolved,” he said at the time.
'No pressure on Khamenei'
Fazaeli dismissed remarks that decisions had been forced on Khamenei, saying those who describe the leadership as passive or subject to misleading reports were either ignorant or acting with ulterior motives.
“At present, the leadership itself is the most important element and pillar of the country’s power,” he added, describing Khamenei’s approach as “revolutionary rationality, a balance of realism and ideals.”
The remarks followed weeks of conservative criticism of President Masoud Pezeshkian’s moderate government, accusing it of showing weakness toward Israel and of pushing Khamenei into agreeing to ceasefire arrangements.
Earlier in July, armed forces chief Abdolrahim Mousavi said a devastating strike on Israel had been prepared on Khamenei’s orders but was shelved when a truce took effect.
The debate sharpened after Israeli and US strikes in June on sensitive nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to negotiate a limited arrangement with the IAEA to restore inspector access.
Known as the Cairo agreement, it was signed by Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Egypt while parliament was in recess, despite a law requiring suspension of cooperation with the agency.
Araghchi insists the Cairo accord safeguards Iran’s interests and is consistent with the law suspending cooperation. He said it recognizes Tehran’s security concerns, guarantees Iran’s rights, and “creates no access” for inspectors at this stage.
Any monitoring, he said, would only be discussed later with approval from the Supreme National Security Council.
While hardliners accuse the government of forcing concessions on the leader, Fazaeli’s remarks made clear that decisions—whether concessions or escalations—rest with Khamenei himself.
“The annual conference is an important opportunity to present our positions and explain the unlawful measures that have targeted our nuclear industry,” Eslami told state television before leaving Tehran to attend the 69th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
He said Iran would use the platform to introduce “a clear and transparent narrative” of recent events and to stress what he described as the IAEA’s inaction against such incidents.
Eslami said the trip would include multilateral meetings with various countries and that Tehran had prepared a resolution for the conference “to condemn attacks on nuclear facilities and ensure this issue is formally raised.”
Supreme National Security Council statement
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) also issued a statement on the recent arrangement signed in Cairo between Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, setting out principles for future cooperation.
The council said the text “was reviewed in the nuclear committee of the SNSC and corresponds with what was approved there.” The committee, composed of senior officials from relevant institutions, has been authorized to decide on nuclear issues, it added.
On facilities attacked by Israel and the United States in June, the SNSC said Iran would first provide its own report after obtaining the view of the Supreme National Security Council and then negotiate with the agency on implementation methods.
Any action, it added, “must be approved by the Supreme National Security Council.”
The statement emphasized that “if any hostile action is taken against the Islamic Republic of Iran and its nuclear facilities, including the reinstatement of previously closed Security Council resolutions, the implementation of these arrangements will be halted.”
The remarks come as Britain, France and Germany push ahead with a “snapback” process to restore UN sanctions on Iran unless inspections resume and missing uranium is accounted for. Sanctions will automatically return by late September unless the UN Security Council votes otherwise.
Araghchi has warned the European powers that pursuing the mechanism would mean they “lose everything,” and Tehran has made clear that the new cooperation framework with the IAEA is conditional on no further hostile action.
The IAEA reported this month that Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% reached 440.9 kilograms before the June airstrikes. Grossi said the Cairo deal covers all declared facilities, including those bombed, and aims to re-establish inspections once technical procedures are agreed.
Eslami said Iran would use the Vienna conference “to highlight that our rights and concerns have been recognized and to reaffirm that cooperation will proceed in a way fully consistent with our national legislation.”
