Iran supreme leader says he approved MOU despite reservations

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday said he had reservations about the memorandum of understanding between Tehran and the United States to end the war but still agreed to move forward with the deal.

Khamenei said Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, wanted to ink the agreement “out of sincere concern” for the future and to signal “goodwill.”

“In the course of reaching this stage, the officials in charge, out of sincere concern and goodwill, made extensive efforts—and of course, it was the American president who, out of desperation, used all kinds of leverage to bring this about,” Khamenei wrote in a post on the social platform X.

“I, as a matter of principle, held a different view; however, out of the commitment that the esteemed president—as the head of the Supreme National Security Council—gave to me on his own behalf and on behalf of the other members regarding the safeguarding of the rights of the Iranian nation and the Resistance Front, and his explicit acceptance of that responsibility, I granted my permission,” he added.

Iran’s supreme leader said in the future, Tehran will not agree to “excessive demands” from the U.S.

The Trump administration has said Khamenei has not been involved in current negotiations and is only issuing written statements after being severely wounded in U.S. strikes.

Khamenei’s proxies will spend the next 60 days negotiating with U.S. leaders on further issues, including restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program.

Under the memorandum of understanding text, Tehran could gain access to up to $300 billion for redevelopment efforts after agreeing to end fighting in Lebanon, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and never seek to procure a nuclear weapon.

The deal has been heavily criticized in Israel and Washington from people who argue the Trump administration got little for its war in terms of meaningful commitments from Iran.

Vice President Vance at a White House press briefing on Thursday defended the deal, pushing back on critics and arguing they should have faith in Trump.