Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei urged Iranian officialdom to know their enemy when negotiating and to make deals accordingly, in cryptic remarks some commentators viewed as a tacit endorsement of talks with the United States.
"Behind the smiles of diplomacy, there are always hidden and malicious enmities and resentments. We must open our eyes and be careful with whom we are dealing, trading, and talking," Khamenei said at a gathering of top military and political figures.
Sitting beside President Masoud Pezeshkian, who has publicly expressed openness to US talks, Khamenei continued: “When a person knows his opponent, he may make a deal, but he knows what to do. We must know and understand."
Although Khamenei did not explicitly address relations with the US, his call for vigilance was construed by many, particularly Reformist media in Tehran, as a tacit green light to talks with Washington.
These outlets emphasized what they called a noticeable shift in his tone, which appeared more open to the possibility of a potential deal, signaling a subtle but significant softening in his rhetoric.
Khamenei is known for speaking in circuitous and obscure terms when addressing the competing power factions within the governing system he leads.
He rarely takes clear political or diplomatic stances, often opting to remain behind a shield of deniability. Over a decade ago, he also cautioned Iran's negotiators during nuclear talks, positioning himself more as a bystander than a decision-maker.
The ultimate decision maker of the Islamic Republic for most of its nearly 50-year history, Khamenei's rule is backed by a feared domestic security apparatus has fended off an assassination attempt, popular uprisings, armed insurgencies and terrorist attacks.
“The Supreme Leader's statements today clearly demonstrate that diplomacy must be conducted with a thorough understanding of the other side and their animosities," Mohammad-Hossein Ranjbaran, an advisor to the foreign minister, wrote on X.
"This is a clear message for everyone to move forward on this difficult path with solidarity and consensus.”
Reformist commentator Mohammad-Ali Ahangaran said: “The Supreme Leader, if he intended to reject the possibility of negotiations, should have done so in today’s speech."
“However, the wise Leader of the Revolution, through today’s warnings and clarifications, showed that he has a different plan — a plan that has, for some time, deprived a group of ultra-revolutionaries... of peace and rest,” he added.
'Financial elites'
Khamenei also pointed to what he called the duplicity of US diplomacy, citing alleged examples of American support for violence against civilians.
"When US Congress members applaud the butcher responsible for the massacre of thousands of children, or when they award a medal to the captain of the American warship that shot down an Iranian passenger plane with 300 civilians aboard, these acts reveal their malicious and hidden enmity behind their diplomatic smiles," Khamenei added.
He was referring to the war in Gaza and Iran Air Flight 655, a scheduled passenger flight from Tehran to Dubai via Bandar Abbas that was shot down in 1988 by two surface-to-air missiles fired by USS Vincennes, a United States Navy warship.
Khamenei also accused the United States of being beholden to powerful financial elites, echoing recent domestic criticisms of the new administration of Donald Trump as being too close to prominent billionaires.
"The US government stands as the pinnacle of arrogant and colonial powers, heavily influenced by the world's top financial elites,” he said.
Khamenei framed modern imperialism as a continuation of past colonialism.
"The history of colonialism shows three stages: the plunder of natural resources, the destruction of authentic cultures, and the seizure of national and religious identities. Today, the powerful and malevolent global systems are imposing all three stages of colonialism on nations," he said.
"Every day, major financial cartels devise new ways to reshape the identity and interests of nations and expand their colonial dominance," Khamenei noted.
Praise for Hezbollah, Gaza
Khamenei lauded what Iran calls resistance movements in the Middle East, saying that Hezbollah in Lebanon continues to stand strong despite the loss of prominent leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah who was killed by Israel in September.
"This (Nasrallah’s death) is no joke. How many individuals of Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah’s stature exist in the world? After his loss, while friends and foes assumed Hezbollah’s end was near, the organization proved otherwise. In some cases, it stood stronger and more motivated against the Zionist regime," he said.
Iran is widely perceived to have had its strategic stature in the region deeply weakened by Israeli military blows in the 15-month conflict that has gripped the Mideast since Iran-backed Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
"Gaza, a small and limited region, has brought the heavily armed Zionist regime, fully backed by the US, to its knees. Gaza defeating the Zionist regime is no small feat.”
The meeting on Tuesday also featured remarks from President Pezeshkian, who stressed the importance of unity and justice in the face of global challenges, drawing on allegories from the life of Prophet Muhammad, whose revelation anniversary was the event's centerpiece.
"The prophets’ mission was to establish justice and eliminate divisions and conflicts," Pezeshkian said. "The Prophet Muhammad’s first act after migrating to Medina was to create brotherhood among feuding tribes. Today, more than ever, Iran, Islamic societies and all nations need to embrace this perspective."
