Where the Leader's Clarity Fades

Typically, his stances leave little room for doubt; to the extent that if he deems it necessary, amidst the turmoil of a major electoral dispute, he unequivocally takes one side and states clearly, 'The President's opinion is closer to mine.' However, for the past year or two, Ayatollah Khamenei's positions on nuclear negotiations have, contrary to his usual practice, not been very transparent. He speaks of 'heroic flexibility'; yet shortly after, he sows seeds of despair regarding the negotiations, stating, 'The talks will lead nowhere.' He insists on supporting the Iranian team in negotiations with the U.S. and other global powers; yet at the same time, he admonishes that 'some should not try to prettify the face of America.' He urges to negotiate seriously; however, as the main helmsman of the system and its nuclear program, he expresses a lack of optimism. Now, a week after the exhausting marathon of negotiations at the highest diplomatic levels resulted in the Lausanne Agreement between Iran and global powers, which was supposed to create a seismic news event, the leader of the Islamic Republic, in a delayed reaction, states, 'Nothing has been done for me to take a stance.' On Thursday, regarding an event that a week prior had led many Iranians to celebrate in the streets, he took a neutral position, saying he is neither for nor against it; congratulating is meaningless. This is while the support and appreciation of some of the highest-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic for the nuclear negotiating team and the Lausanne Agreement have been interpreted by some observers as a sign of Ayatollah Khamenei's satisfaction; especially the support from figures close to the Supreme Leader such as Mohammad Firouzabadi, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Ali Larijani, Speaker of Parliament, his brother Sadegh Larijani, Head of the Judiciary, and even Mohammad Ali Jafari, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Why does Ayatollah Khamenei not clearly take a supportive or opposing stance on the negotiations? Has he changed his position? Was the nuclear agreement imposed on the Supreme Leader, or did it reach fruition with his cooperation? Where does the IRGC fit into this equation, and where is foreign policy heading from now on? These were the questions discussed this week on the Sixth Hour program with Radio Farda's audience and Morteza Kazemian, a national-religious activist and political analyst.