Broadcast Fallout Deepens as Dispute Over MoU Terms Spills Into Public View
TEHRAN: Iranian authorities have initiated legal proceedings and accepted media resignations after hardline lawmaker Mahmoud Nabavian appeared to disclose alleged private correspondence from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei opposing key terms of the memorandum of understanding with Washington, according to Iranian media reports.
Nabavian, a member of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, told state-run Khabar Network that in letters dated April 5, April 19 and May 24, Khamenei rejected any agreement that failed to recognize Iran’s right to enrich uranium.
He also claimed Khamenei insisted Iran must exercise full control over the Strait of Hormuz and opposed any arrangement involving shared management with Oman. According to Nabavian, the supreme leader had set 11 conditions for continued negotiations, including sanctions relief, access to frozen Iranian assets, compensation from the United States and recognition of Iran’s enrichment rights.
Iranian Broadcaster Cuts Interview, Announces Legal Steps
The interview was abruptly cut off on air, and the Iranian Broadcasting Corporation later announced legal action against Nabavian, saying the release of incomplete state documents violated the law. The broadcaster also accepted the resignation of the relevant network director and said disciplinary measures would follow over what it described as professional negligence.
Meanwhile, Nabavian defended his remarks on X, saying he was only conveying the leader’s position on why he opposed the memorandum in its incomplete form. However, criticism quickly followed from Iranian officials and media figures.
Anchor Elmira Sharifi condemned the disclosure of what she described as confidential state letters, while MP Mojtaba Zarei accused Nabavian of disrupting civil order by trying to prove his position publicly.
Although the interview was later removed from the broadcaster’s platforms, it remained available through the IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency, which framed the remarks as an important explanation of Khamenei’s reservations.
The controversy has intensified scrutiny over internal divisions in Tehran, with analysts saying the episode exposed a rare public split inside Iran’s political establishment over negotiations with Washington.
