Reformist says Iran must sideline sanctions profiteers to revive US talks

Iran’s path to lifting sanctions and reviving talks with the United States depends on sidelining domestic actors who profit from the country’s isolation, Reformist political figure Mohammad Hashemi said.

“To advance negotiations and end sanctions, the government must disarm the so-called sanctions profiteers,” Hashemi told Khabar Online website on Saturday.

“Their power lies in chaos. Without confronting them, real progress is impossible.”

The brother of Iran’s late President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani described these groups as few in number but “highly operational” with deep-rooted backing.

He also weighed in on the prospect of renewed talks with Washington, saying, “Trump has no credible track record. He tore up the nuclear deal and ordered military strike on IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani. But he’s also a businessman, not a warmonger. He prefers deals over war.”

Hashemi framed the diplomatic window as narrow but real, and argued that Iran’s negotiators must navigate both internal resistance and external unpredictability.

“The opportunity exists—but only if those who benefit from sanctions are stripped of the tools that allow them to sabotage diplomacy,” he added.