In a surprising reversal, Iranian MP Mojtaba Zonnour, who once symbolically burned a copy of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in parliament, has now expressed his support for the deal, provided there is consensus on its revival.
Zonnour, previously known for his staunch opposition to the agreement, made the remarks just days after parliament unanimously approved Masoud Pezeshkian’s cabinet. In his closing defense, the new president said the list of ministers had already been pre-approved by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Zonnur stressed that the decision on the future of the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) is a collective decision involving various state bodies and officials. “Whether the nuclear deal moves forward or not is a supra-state decision,” he said. “It is not in the hands of any one individual or institution, but a collective decision involving bodies such as the Supreme National Security Council and the heads of the three branches of government.”
However, the decision to revive the nuclear deal was always a collective one. This did not stop Zonnour, the chairman of the parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, from calling for the execution of then-President Hassan Rouhani while he was still in office when the JCPOA was signed.
Zonnour also declared that he would support any decision made by the Islamic regime – whether it was to continue negotiations, to break them off or to revive the nuclear deal. This clear departure from his previous stance has surprised observers and sparked speculation about the reasons for his apparent change of heart.
The MP’s comments come at a time of increasing speculation about a possible shift in Iranian foreign policy. Some analysts say Zonnour’s about-face could be a sign of a broader consensus within the Iranian establishment that is leaning toward a more flexible approach to nuclear negotiations and possibly even toward the West.
In an unprecedented development earlier the same day, the chairman of Iran’s National Development Fund said: called Pezeshkian to restore U.S. consular services at the site of the former American embassy in Tehran.
“Now that all the pillars of the regime support you and your government, you can, if you see fit, implement some tasks that have remained unfinished for many years. Perhaps it would be better to do this before the honeymoon is over,” said Mehdi Ghazanfari, who was appointed by former hardline President Ebrahim Raisi.
While nothing is certain, it appears that the hardliners are joining the broader consensus within the regime, especially after Pezeshkian publicly confirmed that Khamenei stands behind his government’s key decisions.
While rumors of a change in Iranian foreign policy circulate, the world is still holding its breath as a high-stakes diplomatic game is being played in the Middle East to prevent escalation.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Friday he discussed a number of issues in the region with his Israeli counterpart, including the ongoing exchanges of fire on the Israeli-Lebanese border.
In a post on X, Austin said he also addressed the risk of escalation from Iran and groups it supports in Thursday’s phone call and told Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant that the U.S. is well positioned throughout the region.
The dialogue took place a few hours after US Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh highlighted the significant US military buildup in the region and attempted to portray it as a stark warning to Iran that any aggression would be met with unwavering force.
Houthi-affiliated media reported on Friday two US-British airstrikes on the Iran-backed group’s positions west of Taiz province in southwest Yemen.
Despite all this, new Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressed in talks with his French and British counterparts that Tehran had the right to retaliate for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July.
