Newspapers in Iran challenge gag order, back talks with US
Iran International
Several Tehran outlets defied a state-imposed ban on Wednesday by publishing commentary on ongoing nuclear talks with Washington, some striking an optimistic tone that diverged from the Supreme Leader’s skeptical message a day earlier.
In a speech on Tuesday, Ali Khamenei questioned the likelihood of a deal with the United States under President Donald Trump. Within hours, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council issued a directive prohibiting the country’s press from commenting on the negotiations.
Still, major reformist dailies Etemad and Sharq carried pieces backing the talks the next day—one commentator even letting his imagination sail into uncharted territory.
“Not only will Iran and the United States reach an agreement, but they will also pave the way for the reopening of the US embassy in Tehran and consulates in other Iranian cities,” former MP Esmail Gerami Moghaddam said in an interview with Etemad.
“Trump has never said Iran should stop enrichment—only that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons,” he asserted, arguing that Trump’s recent trade agreements with neighboring Arab nations prove he is not seeking escalation in the region.
Sharq’s editorial—titled Does Diplomacy Still Have a Chance?—was not as rosy, denouncing what it called Washington’s excessive demands.
“Iran does not want to participate in talks that collapse before they even begin,” it quoted an unnamed official as saying, arguing that the “zero enrichment” red line advanced by Trump and his team threatens Iran’s sovereignty.
Nevertheless, the editorial ended on a hopeful note that the talks would continue.
Sharq also quoted former nuclear negotiator Hossein Mousavian—now at Princeton University, where he faces a campaign by Iranian dissidents calling for his removal.
“These problems would not have arisen had there been more direct negotiations with the U.S.,” Mousavian told Sharq, accusing U.S. officials of posturing that, in his words, undermines trust.
This echoed Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who on Tuesday accused officials in Washington of leaking sensitive information and called for confidentiality.
In another piece, Sharq highlighted Qatar’s mediation efforts alongside Oman’s as a potential breakthrough. The duo’s involvement, it argued, could help establish a peaceful framework and restore regional stability.
“Qatar, as an experienced mediator, can build upon Oman’s initiatives,” the editorial said, noting that recent statements from Doha about bridging the gap between Washington and Tehran had raised hopes among diplomats.
By offering to mediate between Iran and the U.S., it concluded, Qatar is sending a clear message to President Trump: that his allies in the region prefer diplomacy over confrontation.