Iran's Khamenei cautiously leaves door open for diplomacy with Trump
In his latest statements, Ali Khamenei did not rule out talks with the United States, marking a shift from his uncompromising anti-US approach in recent years.
TEHRAN — Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Iran's officials of the US government's "malicious nature and hidden hostilities" amid heated debates over potential direct talks between Tehran and Washington.
Those hostilities, Khamenei asserted, are kept behind "diplomatic smiles," as he called for vigilance on "who we are interacting with and talking to."
As reported by his official website, the octogenarian leader made the comments at a religious ceremony in Tehran on Tuesday that was attended by moderate President Masoud Pezeshkian, the country's parliament speaker, the chief justice and ambassadors of several Muslim countries.
In his speech, Khamenei did not impose any ban on talks with the United States, indicating a departure from his adamant approach in recent years, particularly after the killing of his favorite general, Qasem Soleimani, in a US airstrike in 2020.
