The chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee warned Tehran over its uranium enrichment on Thursday, adding that any acceleration would result in further sanctions and heightened international pressure to dismantle its nuclear program.
"Tehran's threats of uranium enrichment are only meant to distract from the fact that Iran is at its weakest point in decades," Jim Risch said in a post on X.
"If Iran accelerates in this direction, it will only bring down further sanctions and encourage the international community to take Iran’s nuclear program off the table," the Idaho Republican added.
His comments follow remarks by Rafael Grossi, head of the UN nuclear watchdog, who said on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos that Iran is "pressing the gas pedal" on enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels.
Grossi also called on Iran to reach an understanding with the Trump administration, expressing concerns about Tehran’s growing stockpile of highly-enriched uranium.
However, none of these "supreme" authorities have officially confirmed that they have authorized negotiations with the United States regarding Iran's nuclear program or other contentious issues, such as Tehran's interventions in regional countries.
In recent days, Pezeshkian has conveyed Tehran's willingness to engage in talks with the U.S., but Khamenei’s hardline allies have strongly criticized both his remarks and those of other officials. This has raised an important question: Does the President have Khamenei’s approval to pursue negotiations with the Trump administration?
It is widely acknowledged in Iranian politics that Khamenei holds ultimate authority over military and foreign policy, meaning his full approval would be necessary for the President to initiate significant negotiations with major powers.
Foreign policy analyst Abdolreza Faraji-Rad told the Khabar Online website in Tehran, "When Iran's President or other senior officials express readiness to negotiate with the United States, it does not imply that they made that decision independently. Rather, it signals that the issue has already been discussed at the Supreme National Security Council," which is the country's highest-ranking decision-making body after Supreme Leader Khamenei.
Faraji-Rad noted that failing to negotiate with Trump would likely lead the United States to increase pressure on Iran and further sanctions would be imposed on Iran's oil exports. He argued that initiating negotiations would be the right course of action. He also suggested that the Iranian Foreign Ministry would likely be assigned the responsibility of advancing these talks.
Meanwhile, he criticized the government's political rivals for hindering its initiative. However, the Iranian government has yet to take any practical steps in this direction, even though hardliners in Iran remained largely silent on the issue during the first two days following Trump’s inauguration.
Former lawmaker Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh expressed pessimism on Tuesday, suggesting that Pezeshkian might not yet have the necessary approval. However, by Wednesday, Falahatpisheh appeared to soften his stance, writing about Europe’s potential role as a mediator in talks with Washington.
Meanwhile, while the ultraconservatives were generally silent during the past two days, some other elements such as Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib fueled doubts about whether Pezeshkian has the go-ahead for negotiations. Khatib warned against yielding to calls for negotiations with the Trump administration, saying "it could leave Tehran at a disadvantage."
Reformist politician and commentator Fayyaz Zahed also shared with the press in Tehran that, based on his assessment of the relationship between the President and the Supreme Leader, "Pezeshkian has received the green light to initiate negotiations." He added that "Pezeshkian is now seeking a dignified way to carry out this task."
Under growing regional and economic pressure over the past six months, the Islamic Republic has been mocked by opposition groups and many Iranians on social media for wasting decades and hundreds of billions of dollars on its controversial nuclear program and meddling in regional countries. These policies, they argue, have resulted in years of devastating sanctions. Now, with Donald Trump at the helm, critics highlight that the authorities are forced to appeal for talks with Washington.
Zahed added, "All politicians in Iran have reached the conclusion that the country's foreign policy strategy needs to be revised." He continued, "There is currently no obstacle to the decision to negotiate." Additionally, Zahed described Pezeshkian's ultraconservative political rivals as "cartoon characters inflated like balloons."
Former Labor Minister Mohammad Salamati told the press, "Pezeshkian has the backing of the entire political system in his call to start negotiations with America." Highlighting that Trump is also open to dialogue with Iran, Salamati added, "It is now up to us to take the initiative, start direct negotiations with Washington, and strive for favorable outcomes."
He also noted, "Pezeshkian's political rivals cannot prevent this as long as the President has the nation's support." Additionally, Salamati remarked, "Even the Vietnamese secured concessions through negotiations with the United States after the Vietnam War."
Pro-reform Arman Melli Daily suggested that Europe could play a key mediation role in the talks between Tehran and Washington, while the centrist Daily cautioned that Pezeshkian's domestic political rivals pose a greater threat than Trump. Meanwhile, Ham Mihan noted that with Trump’s return, Iran’s foreign policy has entered one of its most complex periods. The report emphasized, however, that Iran must engage in serious negotiations with the United States, as the country faces one of its most severe economic crises.
