US President Donald Trump's primary motivation in nuclear negotiations with Iran is ensuring Israel's security rather than America's, a member of Iran's Expediency Discernment Council said.
Mohammad Sadr argued that Trump's concern over Iran potentially obtaining nuclear weapons stems from the perceived threat to Tel Aviv, not Washington.
Sadr stressed the importance of understanding Trump's personality traits – describing him as narcissistic and unpredictable – arguing they heavily influence US policy.
"We must expect zigzag positions, fluctuations in behavior, and contradictory policies," Sadr said, advising Iranian negotiators to proceed with calm and patience. "We have to prepare ourselves for negotiation ups and downs."
Iran's diplomatic apparatus has been in communication with Donald Trump's team for the past two years, focusing solely on the nuclear issue during these contacts, a member of the Iranian parliament's National Security Committee said on Sunday.
Mohammad Mahdi Shahriari suggested this long-term communication channel demonstrated the "smartness" of Iran's diplomacy.
"During these meetings, the other side only raised the nuclear issue," Shahriari was quoted as saying.
He added that first-hand and precise information was gathered from these contacts over months and was provided directly to Supreme Leader and the country's diplomatic apparatus.
Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities made the United States enter into negotiations, the Kayhan newspaper, which is seen as reflecting the views of Supreme Leader's office, argued in its analysis.
In an article on Sunday titled "Negotiation and the History Ahead," the hardline daily characterized negotiations, sanctions, and war as a historical toolkit used by "colonialists" to exert pressure, suggesting that unrealistic threats, or bluffs, are the most effective component of this strategy.
“They don’t have the stomach for another war – they only scare to gain concessions.”
The article also criticized what it called the "dual behavior of some insiders," accusing them of labeling critics who advocate for preserving national interests as "sanctions profiteers" while allegedly profiting from market volatility themselves.
Kayhan said that this group uses the ongoing negotiations as a pretext to manipulate Iran's economy by making it conditional on external factors and to deceive the public.
