Live TV in Iran Cuts Out After Lawmaker Claims Khamenei Opposed U.S. Talks

A political and media firestorm erupted in Iran after hardline member of parliament Mahmoud Nabavian read aloud on live state television from what he described as "top secret" letters by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

During the interview, Nabavian claimed that Khamenei had opposed negotiations with the United States all along, and that the conditions he set were not reflected in the memorandum of understanding signed between the countries. Shortly afterward, the broadcast was cut off and the program ended abruptly.

Nabavian, who serves on the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said the supreme leader had repeatedly expressed reservations about the way the contacts with Washington were being handled. According to him, Khamenei questioned why the conditions he had set were not being upheld and made clear that Iran was under no pressure to reach an agreement.

Among the statements he read were quotes attributed to Khamenei saying that the goal of talks with the United States should be "ending the war and securing compensation," not dealing with the nuclear program. Nabavian added that the supreme leader instructed the negotiating team not to discuss the "central issue" — a hint at Iran’s nuclear issue.

Later, the lawmaker claimed that Khamenei had even called for the talks to be stopped. According to him, the outlines that took shape in the negotiations in Pakistan were fundamentally different from the conditions that were supposed to legitimize the move. He added that in several messages delivered in recent months, including ones from April 4, 18, and 24, the Iranian leader demanded that Iran achieve a "victory" in the form of full recognition of its right to enrich uranium, or alternatively that the nuclear issue be removed entirely from the negotiating agenda.

A significant part of Nabavian’s claims also focused on the Strait of Hormuz. According to him, Khamenei sees the strait as a strategic pressure point against the United States. He quoted remarks attributed to the supreme leader saying that if Washington wants to reduce the pressure being applied to it, it must meet a series of preconditions, chief among them paying compensation and debts to Iran.

He claimed that none of those conditions appeared in the memorandum of understanding. He further said that Khamenei insisted control of the Strait of Hormuz remain exclusively in Iranian hands, with no partnership with Oman or any other country. Nabavian also claimed that in a message dated March 12, vessels passing through the strait were divided into different categories: some were supposed to be stopped completely, others allowed to cross after paying fees, while ships belonging to Iran’s allies would be allowed to pass free of charge.

As he continued revealing the contents of the correspondence, the broadcast was suddenly cut off. Later, the state broadcasting authority issued an unusual statement saying Nabavian’s remarks constituted a "legal violation that could justify legal action," because he referred to classified documents and correspondence involving senior state officials. The authority said one of the organization’s managers resigned following the incident and that additional disciplinary steps would be taken.

Hossein Soleimani, editor in chief of the "Mashreq" website, accused Nabavian of presenting the correspondence selectively. According to him, the material involved about 20 different documents, and if secret and top-secret documents had already been exposed, they should have been presented in full and accurately.

Nabavian and other figures identified with the Paydari Front, the ultra-hardline camp that opposes any dialogue with the United States and the West, have stepped up their criticism in recent days of the memorandum of understanding. They accuse President Masoud Pezeshkian, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi of making dangerous concessions to Washington.

The criticism comes against the backdrop of a message attributed to Khamenei and published on Thursday, according to which he approved the signing of the memorandum of understanding despite holding a fundamentally different position, after receiving assurances from President Pezeshkian that Iran’s rights and the rights of the "Resistance Front" would be preserved.