The Larijani brothers have become prominent voices in Iran’s diplomacy and are offering contrasting views on engaging with the United States following Donald Trump’s election victory.
Ali Larijani has signaled a willingness to negotiate with Trump - a surprising stance given Iran’s typically confrontational rhetoric.
In contrast, Mohammad Javad Larijani has adopted a more aggressive tone and discussed potential nuclear bomb development.
Ultimately, as before, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will deny responsibility for these statements and place the blame on the administration.
In an interview with the Supreme Leader’s official website, Ali Larijani expressed readiness to negotiate with Trump, a statement with more significance than similar remarks previously made by Nour News, a media outlet close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
Although Trump is officially referred to in Iran’s rhetoric as the “murderer” of former Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani, even Mohammad Javad Zarif considered negotiations with Trump’s administration possible.
While no such talks took place, the Islamic Republic now finds itself in a post-election environment marked by uncertainty, rejecting negotiations with the U.S. while subtly signaling a willingness to talk.
While direct talks with Trump’s administration would hurt the Islamic Republic’s propaganda, they remain possible as Ali Khamenei generally denies responsibility and shifts the blame to Iran's administrations.
The real challenge lies in accurately assessing Trump’s intentions. Iranian officials previously believed he was only seeking a “photo opportunity.” However, the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Lebanon have changed the geopolitical situation.
Another prospect that Iranian officials optimistically cling to is a potential deal between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
What Did Ali Larijani Say?
In an interview published on the Supreme Leader’s website, Ali Larijani called for Donald Trump to return to the 2015 nuclear deal or start new negotiations.
He said, “You say you accept a nuclear Iran, as long as it does not move toward building a bomb. We have enrichment at this level, so come and make a deal. Iran has conditions for such an agreement based on past experience. We won’t pursue a bomb, and you must accept our conditions. Negotiate a new agreement.”
The significance of Larijani’s remarks is amplified by the fact that the interview was conducted during his visit to Syria and Lebanon.
While Ali Larijani is becoming active in foreign policy, his older brother, Mohammad Javad Larijani, known for his provocative statements, made bold claims on state television.
He said, “If the enemy thinks we are in an impasse, they are gravely mistaken. We don’t want our nuclear capabilities to head in this direction, but if they believe we could achieve military nuclear capability in 48 hours, they are not wrong. We could even reduce that to 24 hours.”
Some Iranian media outlets interpret these comments, along with statements by Sadeq Larijani on the FATF, as signaling the Larijani brothers’ re-entry into the Islamic Republic’s political scene.
However, their resurgence faces resistance due to concerns within the Islamic Republic over Sadeq Larijani potentially positioning himself as a candidate for leadership after Khamenei’s death.
Ali Larijani’s comments are not entirely new, but their repeated use in this context has attracted significant attention.
In 2020, just one month after Qassem Soleimani’s assassination, then-Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also said that negotiations with the U.S. were “not improbable” as long as sanctions were lifted.
After Trump’s election victory, Nour News said that Iran prefers to manage any new interaction with the U.S. itself rather than relying on intermediaries such as Russia.
Some supporters of President Maousd Pezeshkian’s administration, including Abbas Akhoundi and Ali Shakouri-Rad, have also called for negotiations with Trump.
While direct talks with Trump’s administration may be seen by hardliners as drinking from the “cup of poison,” they are not impossible - if approved by Khamenei, with any fallout blamed on the administration of Pezeshkian or people like Zarif
Despite Ali Larijani’s aspirations to present himself as a key figure in Iran’s foreign policy, his disqualification in this year’s presidential election undermines his credibility.
Even during his tenure as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, his authority in negotiations was limited.
For example, while he was negotiating with European governments, then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeatedly dismissed his efforts and said that Iran’s nuclear case was “closed” and no one had the right to negotiate on the nation’s rights.
The Islamic Republic’s signaling extends beyond Ali Larijani’s comments.
Other channels have been used to convey public and private messages, such as reports of a meeting between Elon Musk and Iran’s UN ambassador and alleged assurances that Iran would refrain from targeting Trump.
What Does Trump Want?
One of the challenges facing the Islamic Republic is the uncertainty of Donald Trump’s demands.
Hossein Marashi, Secretary-General of the Executives of Construction Party, said that in 2019 if then-President Hassan Rouhani had agreed to meet Trump alongside the French president and the German chancellor and exchanged greetings, all sanctions could have been lifted.
Marashi said, “If I were in Rouhani’s position, I would have met Trump unless I was dismissed upon returning to Iran.”
The White House even provided the Swiss Embassy with a direct phone line to Trump, enabling Iranian officials to contact the U.S. president if they wished.
To date, the only precedent of high-level communication between Iranian and American presidents includes a phone call between Hassan Rouhani and Barack Obama, as well as a brief, accidental handshake and exchange of words between Mohammad Javad Zarif and Obama.
Now, even if the Islamic Republic were willing to engage in such gestures, Trump’s new demands remain unclear.
Moreover, the nuclear program is not the only issue on the table. The wars in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, have significantly changed the dynamics compared to the past.
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