Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has just issued his first public statement on the memorandum of understanding that was signed by President Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian yesterday.
His remarks were delivered by Iranian state media through a written message.
In it, he authorized the signing of the MOU while expressing personal reservations on the deal.
You can read the full thing for yourself here:
The full text of the message of Imam Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, addressing the Iranian nation regarding the Memorandum of Understanding between the presidents of Iran and America, June 18, 2026 pic.twitter.com/9nSD2NfkVe
— Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (@MKhamenei_ir) June 18, 2026
Full text:
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
- To the passionate and loyal nation of Iran,
- As you have been informed, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the presidents of Iran and America. 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.
- 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 the explicit acceptance of that responsibility, I granted my permission. He also explicitly stated that if the American side seeks to make excessive demands, they will not submit to them.
- From this moment on, we—that is, you, the proud nation, and this humble servant—will await the realization of the aforementioned conditions.
- However, it is self-evident that the in-person negotiations that will take place in the future will not mean acceptance of the enemy’s position. We hope that the blessed prayers of our Master (may God hasten his noble reappearance) will bring all kinds of victories and triumphs to the honorable nation of Iran.
- Peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.
Sayyid Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei
June 18, 2026
Khamenei’s authorization of the deal comes ahead of further negotiations between Iran and the United States, which are scheduled to take place in Switzerland this weekend.
Axios reported further:
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei authorized Iranian negotiators to conduct direct talks with the U.S. but stressed it “does not signify acceptance of the enemy’s views”.
Why it matters: Khamenei’s comments in a written statement in his Telegram channel were his first response to the signing of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU).
- Iranian negotiators have been waiting for his public “green light” before heading to Switzerland for a first round of negotiations with the U.S. planned for Friday or Saturday.
Behind the scenes: The Iranian supreme leader, who was wounded in an Israeli strike on his father’s residence during the opening days of the war, has not been seen or heard publicly since.
- In his written message, Khamenei said he opposed signing the memorandum of understanding with the U.S. but authorized it at the recommendation of President Masoud Pezeshkian and the country’s Supreme National Security Council.
Iran only stands to lose big-time if they do not abide by the agreement.
President Trump has made it very clear that he is not opposed to resuming the war if Iran behaves badly.
Per CBS News:
The Trump administration has said if Iran does not uphold the conditions of the 14-point memorandum of understanding it will return to bombing the country.
Let’s hope the peace deal holds and that a final agreement is hammered out this weekend!
As always, we’ll continue to bring you the latest updates on the negotiations.
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