[47955] Exposure: Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf admits that negotiations with the West are conducted under the direct supervision of Mojtaba Khamenei

The Iranian negotiations: Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is subject to the instructions of Mojtaba Khamenei

Reports that surfaced on May 3, 2026, reveal a rare glimpse into the decision-making hubs in Tehran. According to Mojtaba Zarei, a member of the parliamentary National Security Committee, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf admitted to him that the Islamic Republic's diplomatic negotiations are conducted solely under the approval and supervision of Mojtaba Khamenei. Zarei quotes Ghalibaf as saying that "the negotiations and their content are carried out only with the approval of Mojtaba Khamenei, and without it, they cannot occur religiously or legally."

While Iran International, recognized as a critical media outlet based in exile, emphasizes the lack of authority of the elected echelon, sources identified with the regime such as IRGC News Channel and Akharin Khabar present the involvement of the leader's son as a source of religious and security legitimacy. According to the IRGC News Channel, the delegation deliberately avoided entering into "professional" discussions on the nuclear issue without explicit approval, and Ghalibaf even confirmed that he prevented the participation of the head of the Atomic Energy Organization in the delegation to maintain the "sanctity of the leader's approval."

Another central issue that emerged from the remarks is the future of Hezbollah. According to the report by Iran International, President Pezeshkian opposed separating Hezbollah from the ceasefire agreements, claiming that it is an "immoral act." Akharin Khabar confirmed that support for the Lebanese organization was defined as a threshold condition for a ceasefire, emphasizing that there is no disagreement among senior officials on this issue and that everyone is subject to the decisions of the Supreme Leader.

In summing up Zarei's remarks, as reported in Supporters of Pezeshkian, he defined himself as a "soldier of Velayat-e Faqih" (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist), while defending the conduct of the delegation in Islamabad and claiming that all steps were taken in accordance with the instructions of the highest echelon in the country.