Foreign minister seeks blessing of senior clerics for Western outreach

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited the homes of four senior clerics in Qom last week to secure their backing for negotiations with the West as the country finds itself ever weaker on the world stage.

State-run news outlets, including IRNA and ISNA, framed the visits as briefings on foreign policy and regional developments, highlighting Araghchi's portrayal of the recent ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah as a victory for Hezbollah and a defeat for Israel.

This outreach to senior Shiite clerics, or Grand Ayatollahs, aims to shore up support from the country's ultra-hardliners, suggesting that negotiations with the West do not compromise the Islamic Republic’s ideological principles which have so long spoken of the West as the enemy.

The general public largely backs negotiations for potential financial relief in exchange for political, military, or nuclear concessions, no longer seek reassurance from clerics, many believing their influence has waned due to the Islamic government’s mismanagement of the economy and overall decline.

Recent protests by teachers and pensioners, as well as widespread demonstrations since 2018, have seen calls for the government to prioritize domestic issues over foreign commitments such as the wars in Lebanon and Gaza, led by Iran's military allies around the region.

The clerics Araghchi met are elderly and often in poor health, with their public statements typically prepared by aides. Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli (born 1933), the youngest of the group, highlighted the importance of valuing Iran’s human resources over its oil and gas wealth. Notably, he is the only cleric among the four who has previously addressed the financial struggles of Iranians and urged the government to take action.

In a public statement, Ayatollah Hossein Nouri Hamadani (born 1925) emphasized strengthening the "axis of resistance," or Iran's military allies around the region, warning against trusting Israel’s ceasefire promises in the deal with Iran's most powerful ally Hezbollah in Lebanon.

He also called for bolstering Syria in its fight against ‘takfiris,’ a term Shiites often use to describe Sunni Muslim extremists as the country now descends deeper into civil war.

Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi (born 1926) also publicly cautioned against trusting the United States and the West, urging the government to assist Lebanon and Gaza in rebuilding areas damaged by Israeli attacks since war broke out last year following Iran-backed Hamas's invasion of Israel.

Large swathes of Lebanon and Gaza have been razed as Hezbollah and Hamas bury their military infrastructure within civilian areas, which has led to the deaths of thousands amid the war under Israeli bombardment.

Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani (born 1929) made no public statements, and ISNA reported that Araghchi also met with a representative of Iraqi Shiite leader Ayatollah Ali Sistani in Qom.

On the same day, Friday prayer leaders offered contrasting takes on diplomacy. Ahmad Alamolhoda, the hardline cleric in Mashhad, questioned the value of negotiations with Europe and criticized talks with the United Kingdom, France and Germany who were recently behind a censure resolution against the Islamic Republic.

In Tehran, Friday prayer leader Mohsen Aboutorabi-Fard struck a more conciliatory tone, suggesting that if the West alters its behavior, negotiations could proceed based on mutual respect and recognition of Iran’s interests. However, it comes as Donald Trump prepares to take office for the second time, with a "maximum pressure" approach to Iran likely on the agenda.

The outreach to Qom clerics underscores the government’s attempt to navigate internal political pressures while addressing ever-growing external challenges. As the foreign minister was meeting with the Grand Ayatollahs, Syrian rebels began a surprise offensive against Iranian and Syrian government forces, swiftly capturing Syria’s second largest city, Aleppo, and threatening Iran’s 13-year presence in the country.