Ambiguity in Iran's Leader's Position on Nuclear Agreement

The ongoing debate between opponents and supporters of the nuclear agreement in Iran has prompted the office of the Supreme Leader to issue a statement referring both sides to previous speeches by Ayatollah Khamenei. Iranian media reported on Tuesday that a public relations announcement from Ayatollah Khamenei's office stated that, in light of the reflection of certain remarks regarding the Supreme Leader's views on the summary of nuclear issues, it is officially announced that Mr. Khamenei's positions on this matter were clearly articulated in his speech on April 9, during a meeting with system officials and in his speech on Eid al-Fitr. In his speech on April 9, Mr. Khamenei stated, 'Some have asked why so-and-so has not taken a position on the nuclear issue. The answer is that there has been no place for positioning. Our officials, the nuclear officials, the executors of the work tell us that nothing has been done yet, nothing obligatory has passed between the two sides; what position is there to take? If you ask me if I agree or disagree, I say I am neither in favor nor against; because nothing has happened yet; no action has been taken. All the problem is over the details that they are supposed to sit down and discuss one by one.' On June 22, Ayatollah Khamenei also stated in a meeting with system officials that everyone agrees on the agreement: 'Let everyone know this. The officials of the Islamic Republic - myself, the government, the parliament, the judiciary, various security and military agencies, etc. - all agree that the agreement must be made.' I asked Mehdi Mahdavi Azad, an analyst on Iranian issues residing in Germany, why Mr. Khamenei's office refers public opinion to a speech six months ago when the details were still unclear. 'The statement from Ayatollah Khamenei's office is exactly in line with the new political and propaganda strategy of the Supreme Leader that began with the speech on April 9 this year. According to this strategy, Ayatollah Khamenei seeks to maintain a balance of power in his favor by taking ambiguous and dual positions or making a series of general statements while effectively taking no responsibility. However, the problem that arises is that both supporters and opponents of the nuclear agreement ultimately document their positions with Ayatollah Khamenei, effectively dragging him back into the middle of the debate. That is, on one side, Hossein Shariatmadari in Kayhan cites a series of Mr. Khamenei's remarks to claim he is completely against the agreement, while on the other side, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani and members of the negotiation team, such as Mr. Araqchi, emphasize that Mr. Khamenei has been informed and supportive of the negotiations at every moment, and such an agreement has been made with his permission and support. Ayatollah Khamenei, due to this strategy, cannot deny or confirm anything. This political predicament is precisely the reason for issuing such a statement. Its message to political groups is clear: until further notice, do not drag me into the middle until I decide what position I will take.' Meanwhile, Saeed Jalili, former Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and former head of the nuclear negotiation team, stated on Tuesday at a special commission meeting on the JCPOA in parliament that no visit to Parchin occurred during his presidency of the negotiation team. According to Hossein Naqavi Hosseini, spokesman for the special commission reviewing the JCPOA, Saeed Jalili, Fereydoun Abbasi, former head of the Atomic Energy Organization, and Ali Baqeri, a senior member of the former negotiation team, were also present. According to IRNA, Mohammad Javad Zarif also stated on Tuesday in a meeting with Tunisian journalists in Tunisia that the talks with the U.S. were to resolve an issue that, in our view, was unnecessary and only about resolving one topic, and we did not enter discussions on other issues. Mohammad Yazdi, head of the Assembly of Experts, also mentioned on Tuesday in a public session of the Assembly of Experts that the JCPOA has its legal path and that the parliament has the right to discuss it, but in the end, whatever the parliament and the National Security Council say, we will submit to it.