An Iranian hardline lawmaker sparked a political uproar after reading on state television what he said were highly secret messages from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Mahmoud Nabavian, a member of parliament and of the national security and foreign policy committee, claimed Khamenei opposed negotiations with the United States, said the conditions he set were not reflected in the memorandum of understanding, and asked why his terms had not been honored. The live broadcast was abruptly interrupted and the program was taken off air.
Nabavian said Khamenei had repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the talks with Washington and insisted Iran was under no pressure to negotiate. He quoted remarks attributed to the leader saying the talks should focus on ending the war and securing compensation, not on the nuclear issue, and that the delegation was told not to discuss the “main issue,” a reference to Iran’s nuclear program. He also said Khamenei had called for ending the negotiations altogether and repeated those positions on April 4, 18 and 24.
According to Nabavian, Khamenei wanted Iran to win by achieving full recognition of its right to enrich uranium, or else remove the nuclear file from the agenda permanently. He also said Khamenei viewed the Strait of Hormuz as a key lever against the United States and demanded Iranian control of it alone, without even Oman. Nabavian claimed the instructions appeared in a March 12 message and that vessels would be treated differently depending on their flag or affiliation.
Later, Iran’s state broadcaster said the comments may amount to a “legal violation” because they referred to classified documents and communications by senior officials. It said one manager resigned and disciplinary measures would follow. The controversy drew criticism even from conservative circles, with Hossein Soleimani of Mashregh saying Nabavian selectively quoted from about 20 messages and should have presented any leaked material accurately and in full. The dispute comes as an Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati and others, arrived in Switzerland for technical talks with the United States. At the same time, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council told media not to portray the Strait of Hormuz issue and the negotiations as separate tracks.
