Iran's most senior Sunni leader said that direct negotiations with the United States and other world powers would be more effective than working through mediators, in a direct challenge to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Mowlavi Abdolhamid Ismaeelzahi, said, "In my opinion, direct negotiation is more effective," after leading the Eid al-Fitr prayers in Zahedan, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
"Intermediaries cannot powerfully defend the country's interests and respond to the other side's doubts. Rather, the person with the pain and the problem can speak better and achieve a better result."
The Sunni leader, who has become famed for his fearless opposition to the government, made the comments on Monday following threats from US President Donald Trump to bomb Iran if it does not agree to a new nuclear deal.
He emphasized the importance of adapting policies to foster progress and better international relations, saying, "The success of all developed and developing countries and nations is the result of creating change, transformation, and innovation in laws and policies."
Abdolhamid's call for direct dialogue stands in contrast to the official stance of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who voiced his rejection of direct negotiations with the United States earlier in the day, although he indicated that indirect talks could continue.
Khamenei's position was underscored during his televised speech, where he also warned the US of a "strong blow" if it acted on Trump's bombing threat.
As Khamenei delivered his remarks, crowds present chanted, "Death to America."
Echoing Khamenei's stance, Friday prayer leaders across Iran, who serve as his representatives, have also condemned Trump's threats.
Mohammad Mehdi Hosseini Hamedani, Khamenei's representative and the Friday prayers leader of Karaj, said on Monday, "Our response to the heavy bombing threat is the repetition of the slogan 'Death to America.'"
President Masoud Pezeshkian has also rejected direct talks with Washington but left the door open for indirect negotiations.
“The response by the Supreme Leader to Trump’s letter was delivered to the US contact in Oman,” Pezeshkian said on Sunday.
“In that response, direct negotiations have been rejected, but regarding indirect talks, Iran has always been involved in such discussions, and the Supreme Leader has emphasized that indirect talks can still continue.”
Meanwhile, economic and political figures within Iran have warned that failure to engage with the US could deepen the country’s crisis.
Khamenei’s senior adviser Ali Larijani and leading economists in Tehran have urged policymakers to seek a resolution with Washington to ease sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy.
Earlier this year, Trump reinstated his “maximum pressure” strategy against Iran. Trump's maximum pressure approach in his first term, which started in 2018, pummeled Iran's economy, causing a dramatic decline in oil exports and skyrocketing inflation.
