State-appointed Iranian clerics expressed conflicting views in their Friday sermons about negotiations with the United States, just days before President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office.
Clerics delivering the political speeches on the weekly Islamic holy day are appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and reflect prevailing sentiment within the theocracy.
Tehran's interim Friday Prayer imam, Kazem Sedighi, spoke out against talks with Washington, dismissing the idea that Iran needs to reduce sanctions to address its current economic crisis.
Sedighi's remarks were in line with Iranian hardliners who continue to criticize the proponents of reconciliation with the West.
"To think that if the United States reconciles with us, our livelihood will prosper and our needs will be met goes against reason, experience, and the Holy Quran. God has not permitted a faithful community to live under the banner of disbelief," Sedighi said.
"Those who speak of reconciliation with the United States and trample on past experiences and the blood of martyrs should know that our people have sacrificed their blood and youth," he added.
Since Iran's regional military setbacks last year and the steep fall in the value of its currency, many officials and politicians loyal to the Islamic Republic have called for negotiations with the US, citing the need to transcend an economic crisis that has impoverished tens of millions of Iranians.
The Friday imam of Karaj, a city near Tehran, also criticized those who believe the promises of the "Enemy"—a term used by Iranian officials for the United States—but conceded that talks benefiting Iran could be permitted.
"Negotiations that safeguard national interests are acceptable as long as those interests are not compromised," Mohammad Mehdi Hamedani said, adding, "However, based on past experiences, if negotiations occur under conditions that fail to protect national interests, they will result in yet another outright loss."
Both clerics urged the public not to trust the US, arguing for the need to raise awareness about what they described as the duplicity of major powers and their empty promises. They urged the public not to trust non-state information and what they described as "propaganda by enemies."
Iranian officials have grown increasingly concerned about what they perceive as widespread ideological apathy among the Iranian population and a declining trust in the Islamic Republic, particularly following the 2022 nationwide anti-state protests.
Despite decades of strict media control and internet restrictions, Iranians continue to watch Persian-language satellite television channels broadcast from abroad and use circumvention tools to access uncensored information online.
