Iran International
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday cast doubt on a potential opening in the nuclear standoff, appearing to undermine the deal he had signed just a day earlier with IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi in Cairo.
Grossi had announced Tuesday that Tehran would grant inspectors access to nuclear sites. But Araghchi quickly walked it back, saying it was only “a one-time access to the Bushehr Power Plant that had been granted earlier.”
He added that any future agreement depended on halting “hostile actions against Iran, including activation of the trigger mechanism.”
The mixed signals captured Iran’s familiar pattern: apparent concessions abroad, followed by dismissive clarifications at home.
Araghchi himself has a record of burnishing his toughness after negotiations.
In 2014, he claimed he had shouted at US negotiators and thrown his pen at Wendy Sherman; the tale was later debunked, with witnesses recalling a calm exchange and even small talk about grandchildren.
Reasons for optimism
Despite Araghchi’s backtracking, many in Tehran saw Grossi’s visit as a sign Iran may be edging toward engagement.
With the snapback of international sanctions due in less than ten days, moderates urged the government to seize the moment.
Khabar Online called the Cairo deal “a first step to stop the snapback and pave the way for constructive negotiations with the United States.”
Reformist Rouydad24 and conservative Farhikhtegan alike said “Iran appears to be taking a new approach.”
That chorus grew louder on Sunday.
Prominent reformist Behzad Nabavi told Etemad that “a change in paradigms” is needed, insisting “wisdom calls for negotiations with the United States.” Former lawmaker Ali Motahari went further, urging President Masoud Pezeshkian to meet Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly in New York.
Missed Openings
The precedent is shaky.
In 2000, President Mohammad Khatami was moments from a handshake with Bill Clinton before hardliners stopped him; he reportedly ducked into a bathroom to avoid the encounter.
In 2013, Hassan Rouhani’s brief phone call with Barack Obama drew a public rebuke from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Both moments revealed how even modest steps toward dialogue can be reversed in Tehran.
Araghchi’s Cairo reversal echoed past retreats and left many questioning whether Tehran can commit to real engagement. Skeptics argue that optimism will always be checked by the system’s instinct for resistance.
News of the Grossi agreement briefly pushed the dollar below one million rials on Tuesday, only for it to rebound above one million and ten thousand by Wednesday. Traders complained of volatility, while regional insecurity after Israel’s strike in Doha added to the pressure.
Even the markets seem unsure which way Iran is heading.
