Iran’s presidential office said a government-affiliated body is reviewing requests from expatriates described as members of the country’s “benign opposition” who have expressed interest in returning to Iran.
Alireza Khamsian, communications and media adviser to First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, told the official news agency ISNA on Monday that the move aligns with President Masoud Pezeshkian’s policy of “national accord,” aimed at bridging divides inside and outside the country.
“Some Iranians abroad, who in recent years have expressed attachment to their homeland and even supported the nation during the recent 12-day war with Israel, have asked to return,” Khamsian said. “Their requests are being reviewed by a competent authority.” He did not name the institution involved.
Khamsian referred to these Iranians as the “so-called benign opposition,” distinguishing them from more hardline anti-government activists.
He said the administration seeks to create conditions for their reintegration, adding that “a beautiful sense of unity” had emerged between citizens inside and outside Iran during the recent conflict.
The comments mark one of the first public indications that the Pezeshkian administration is exploring ways to re-engage with parts of the diaspora historically viewed with suspicion by authorities. Large numbers of Iranians left the country in waves after the 1979 revolution and in the following decades.
Khamsian added that the government is also working to facilitate the return of artists, athletes, and professionals who wish to invest or resume work in Iran.
“Many of these people have a deep affection for their homeland,” he said, citing coordination between the Vice President’s Office, the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and other state bodies.
He emphasized that the government’s broader goal was to transform the concept of “national accord” into a social and political discourse, saying the administration “acts in coordination with other branches of power to reduce tension” and “avoid placing unnecessary costs on the system.”
The Pezeshkian government has presented itself as a reform-minded administration seeking pragmatic engagement both at home and abroad. But any potential return of exiled Iranians, especially those with past political activity, would depend on decisions by other state institutions.
