Iran Vows Not to Yield to US Pressure, But Hardliners at Home Are Even Scarier

In ongoing talks, Tehran's negotiating team fears domestic backlash more than any American demand.

Tehran, Iran – President Masoud Pezeshkian declared Monday that Iran will not bow to U.S. pressure in ongoing negotiations, a statement designed to reassure hardline factions at home that their government isn't going soft. But according to sources inside the presidential palace, the real pressure isn't coming from Washington—it's coming from the guy in the next room with a beard and a Revolutionary Guard uniform.

“The Americans want us to give up our nuclear program? Please,” said Pezeshkian, adjusting his collar nervously. “But if I don't get the Supreme Leader's approval on every comma of this deal, I'll be cleaning toilets in Evin Prison by Tuesday.”

The dual-track approach—public defiance from the presidency and quiet diplomacy in Qatar—has left many observers confused. Is Iran playing good cop, bad cop with the U.S.? Or is it playing good cop, bad cop with itself? Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, currently in Doha for talks with Qatari officials, was overheard muttering, “I'm the good cop. No, wait, I'm the bad cop. Actually, I'm just a cop. Is this my life now?”

Inside Iran's negotiating team, tensions are high. “We have a spreadsheet of acceptable concessions,” said a diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being branded a moderate. “Column A is things we can give up without getting executed. Column B is things we can give up but will definitely get us executed. And Column C is things we can't give up because we promised the hardliners we'd never give them up, even though we all know we'll probably have to.”

Editor's note: Our editor Kevin has been staring at this story for three hours. He wants you to know that if Iran's negotiators are this scared of their own side, maybe the U.S. should just wait them out. Kevin also wants a raise.

The negotiations, which have been described as “ongoing,” face significant hurdles if both sides are playing a game of chicken with their own constituencies. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “We're not sure who we're negotiating with anymore. Is it the president? The Supreme Leader? The guy who runs the kebab stand near the Foreign Ministry? We've sent three different proposals and each time they come back with corrections from a different faction.”

Meanwhile, in a parallel diplomatic move, Ghalibaf's visit to Qatar has produced a flurry of backchannel communications. “We're exploring potential compromises,” said a Qatari mediator. “For example, Iran could agree to limit uranium enrichment to 60% in exchange for the U.S. agreeing to call it 'enriched yogurt.' Everyone wins.”

Back in Tehran, Pezeshkian's comments appear aimed at reassuring hardline factions that Tehran will not capitulate. “The full restoration of the country's rights,” he repeated, a phrase that has become the diplomatic equivalent of a nervous tic. But when asked what those rights are, his advisors began shouting over each other: “Sanctions relief!” “Nuclear program!” “Regional influence!” “A decent cup of coffee in the morning!”

The negotiations continue, with both sides insisting they will not yield. But as one exhausted Iranian diplomat put it, “We'll yield eventually. We always do. The question is whether we can make it look like we didn't.”

Ispirato da: Iran's president vows not to yield to US pressure in ongoing negotiations.

Categoria: Politica

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