The Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei, confirmed that he held a different opinion regarding the memorandum of understanding between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States. However, he granted permission for its approval based on the President's pledge to safeguard the rights of the Iranian people and the resistance front, noting that the upcoming direct negotiations do not mean accepting the enemy's point of view.

In a speech addressed to the Iranian people on Thursday evening, Sayyid Khamenei stated: "O loyal Iranian people, as you have learned, a memorandum of understanding has been signed between the presidents of Iran and the United States. In the process of reaching this stage, the concerned officials exerted great efforts motivated by care and good intentions. Of course, it was the United States President who, from a position of helplessness and necessity, utilized various means of pressure to achieve this matter."

He added: "As for me, in principle, I held a different opinion. But given the pledge made to me by Mr. President—in his capacity as the Chairman of the Supreme National Security Council, on behalf of himself and the other members—regarding the preservation of the rights of the Iranian people and the resistance front, and his explicit declaration of taking responsibility for that, I issued permission for its approval. They also explicitly confirmed that they will not bow to any excessive demands if the American party tries to impose them."

Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei concluded by saying: "From this moment on, we—meaning you, the proud people, and this humble servant—will wait for the fulfillment of the aforementioned conditions. However, it is self-evident that the direct negotiations to be conducted in the future do not mean accepting the enemy's point of view. We hope that the benevolent prayers of our sayyid will bring various forms of victory and conquests to the honorable Iranian people."