Iran's Supreme Leader Approves MoU with U.S. Despite Personal Reservations

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei announced on Thursday that he has granted permission for Iran to sign a peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United States, despite holding reservations about the agreement. The announcement came hours after Iranian President Pezeshkian and U.S. President Donald Trump electronically signed the MoU aimed at ending warfare across multiple fronts, including in Lebanon.

In a message addressed to the Iranian people, Khamenei acknowledged that Iranian officials had made considerable efforts "out of compassion and goodwill" to reach this stage, while crediting the U.S. president with employing "all kinds of levers" to facilitate negotiations. However, Khamenei stressed that he had harbored a different opinion on the matter but issued his permission based on commitments made by President Pezeshkian, who chairs the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), to protect Iranian national interests and the resistance front. Khamenei noted that Pezeshkian and other SNSC members pledged they would reject any "excessive demands" from the United States.

Khamenei emphasized that Iran will now await the fulfillment of conditions outlined in the MoU, cautioning that future in-person negotiations would not constitute acceptance of the enemy's position. The MoU was finalized early Monday by Iran, the United States, and Pakistan with the stated goal of ending conflict on all fronts. This agreement follows escalations that began on February 28, when Israel and the United States launched joint military attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, prompting Iranian responses involving waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets throughout the region.