Hossein Shariatmadari, the firebrand editor of the flagship Khamenei-funded hardline newspaper Kayhan, wrote in a Saturday editorial that those proposing negotiations with the US are either "asleep, drunk, or insane."
Shariatmadari argued that the advocates of talks are either "naive" or "inefficient" and are using negotiations with the US as a cover for their inability to solve problems. He also accused them of "having ties with the enemy out of deceit or greed."
His comments come as on Friday, Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs, said in an interview with China's CCTV network that Tehran is ready for "constructive and prompt" negotiations over its nuclear program.
In recent days, some officials in Masoud Pezeshkian's administration and insider political figures have called for talks with Donald Trump, who will officially assume the US presidency on January 20.
Among them, Ali Abdolalizadeh, Pezeshkian's special representative for maritime economy and head of his campaign during the 2024 presidential election, said on Tuesday that negotiations with Trump are necessary.
"We cannot keep the country's issues suspended," Abdolalizadeh said, adding, "The entirety of the ruling system has also reached [the necessity] of face-to-face negotiations."
