Khamenei Grants Iran Government War-Talk Powers

Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has granted the government “certain powers” to pursue peace talks, President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Nov. 2, leaving the scope of that authority—and the limits on what negotiators can offer—unclear. The decision places the terms of diplomacy inside a tightly controlled chain of power as fears grow of renewed conflict with the United States and Israel.

“We are striving to resolve the issue through dialogue, and, in this regard, the supreme leader has also granted certain powers to the government,” the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency cited Pezeshkian as saying. He didn’t specify what the government can now do or whether the move changes Iran’s red lines for indirect negotiations with the United States.

Who Sets the Terms

The announcement hasn’t settled what either side will accept. Tehran wants the U.S. naval blockade of its ports lifted, sanctions eased and frozen assets released before reopening the Strait of Hormuz to maritime shipping. Washington is seeking concessions related to Iran’s nuclear programme. Those demands leave the people living under the threat of another round of fighting with no clear public account of what the talks might deliver.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described intensive consultations during a visit to Turkmenistan. “Given the sensitivity of the current situation, consultations and deliberations have become highly intensive,” he told IRNA. “We have presented our terms and plan, and everything depends on Washington’s political rationality.” He added: “If they intend deception and military operations, they will face a response harsher and heavier than before.”

Ali Vaez, a senior analyst and director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, said the announcement didn’t mark a major change. “There is nothing new here. The supreme leader has given the government a narrow negotiating mandate, with clear red lines.” Vaez said Tehran wants “a durable peace that restores its deterrence,” not merely a pause before fighting resumes.

Diplomacy Under the Threat of Force

Regional governments have stepped up diplomatic efforts after months of relative calm. Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan travelled to Tehran the previous week. Qatari mediators held talks with Iran in Tehran and Doha over the weekend. The article describes diplomacy between governments and mediators, not a grassroots or community-led response.

Military preparations are unfolding alongside those talks. Khamenei ordered top military commanders to prepare for renewed confrontation with the United States and Israel and to expand Tehran’s retaliation options, even as Iran’s top diplomat signalled progress in negotiations. Gulf Arab states are concerned that a better-prepared Iran could unleash a more destructive regional war.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he would resolve the Iran conflict “one way or another” and has occasionally threatened to resume strikes after the midterm elections. Axios reported that Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he remained open to allowing more time for a diplomatic solution. The report offers no indication that an election or legislative process will determine the terms of any agreement.

Investors read Pezeshkian’s remarks as a sign that diplomacy could avert another round of fighting. Brent crude, the global benchmark, fell nearly 10% and traded just below US$106 a barrel at 3 p.m. in London on Nov. 2. The price moved on the prospect of talks; the hard questions of blockade, sanctions, frozen assets and nuclear concessions remain unresolved.