Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has not yet received authorization from the higher authorities to begin talks with Washington, leading Iranian commentator Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh said this week.
On Tuesday, the former chairman of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee told local media on Tuesday that despite Pezeshkian’s public openness to engage in talks with the US, there is no sign that higher authorities have given their consent.
In Iran, the term "higher authority" when referring to the president typically means either Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei or the National Security Council, which is largely composed of Khamenei's appointees.
“Unless higher authorities grant permission for negotiations, occasional signals of openness toward the US will do little to protect the country’s interests,” Falahatpisheh said regarding Pezeshkian’s recent NBC interview.
The commentator noted that, despite Tehran being a high-priority issue for the new administration, President Donald Trump has yet to unveil his strategy for dealing with the country.
In recent weeks, numerous Iranian officials, media outlets, and commentators have begun advocating for talks as then-President elect Trump edged closer to returning to the White House. Iran's already dire economic situation has deteriorated further since September, sparking concerns in Tehran that Trump may intensify US sanctions, exacerbating pressure on the Islamic Republic.
It remains unclear whether President Trump will impose new sanctions, enhance the enforcement of existing ones, or pursue negotiations.
Falahatpisheh contended that it remains unclear whether Pezeshkian’s overtures toward Trump are aimed at influencing the US president or Iran’s national security council, which must approve any move to start negotiations.
Social media images showed closed shops in cities such as Sanandaj, Saqqez, Divandarreh, and Marivan in Kurdistan province, as well as Mahabad, Bukan in West Azarbaijan province, and Kermanshah.
Earlier this week, six Kurdish groups released a joint statement urging people to stage a strike on Wednesday to prevent the executions of Pakhshan Azizi and Varishe Moradi by shutting down marketplaces, workplaces, and schools.
Moradi was sentenced to death in November by Tehran's Revolutionary Court on charges of "armed rebellion." Azizi received the same sentence in July.
Both sentences have sparked outrage locally and internationally. Shirin Ebadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, also joined the protest calls, writing on Instagram, “I urge all political, social, cultural, civil, and professional organizations to join this strike.”
Among the parties supporting the strike were the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, also known as the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran, and the Kurdistan Organization of the Communist Party of Iran.
Azizi was sentence to death in July 2024 for “armed rebellion against the state” and imposed an additional four-year prison sentence for alleged membership in the PJAK, accusations her lawyers have denied. PJAK has been designated as a terrorist organization by Iran, Turkey, and the US.
In addition to these groups, students and a coalition of Kurdish women issued separate statements condemning the death sentences. They also expressed support for the strike, denouncing the treatment of Azizi and Moradi, who are detained in Tehran’s Evin Prison, notorious for its harsh conditions and political detentions.
Earlier this month, Amnesty International has condemned Iran’s Supreme Court for upholding Azizi’s death sentence, calling her trial deeply flawed and her punishment unjust. Amnesty said, “Iran’s authorities must halt any plans to carry out her execution and release her immediately,” adding that her conviction appears to be tied to her peaceful humanitarian and human rights work.
In a letter from prison, Azizi has described instances of torture and harassment, including mock executions. Her case has become a focal point for human rights organizations, with many viewing her sentencing as part of a broader pattern of state repression against political dissidents.
According to the US-based rights group HRANA, at least 54 political prisoners, including Azizi, are currently facing execution across various prisons in Iran. Iran has faced increasing international criticism for its widespread use of the death penalty, especially against political prisoners and activists.
The United Nations human rights office reported in January that Iran in 2024 executed 901 people, including 31 women, marking a sharp rise in capital punishment cases.
