The Farda Briefing, a weekly RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran, is returning after a long hiatus, and it's great to be back with you.
I'm RFE/RL correspondent Kian Sharifi. In this edition I'm delving into how Iran's top brass is signaling that Tehran is open to talks with the United States as Donald Trump returns to the White House.
What You Need To Know
• Iran Signals Openness For Talks: Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Masud Pezeshkian have insisted Western assessments that the Islamic republic has become weak and vulnerable are wrong. At the same time, Iranian Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif has appealed to Trump to "choose rationality" and resume nuclear negotiations.
• Tehran And Moscow Make A Deal: Iran and Russia, two of the most sanctioned nations, signed an agreement to enhance strategic relations for the next 20 years. But the deal is unlikely to help revive Iran's economy or bolster its defensive capabilities.
• Assassination Of Supreme Court Judges: Mohammad Moghiseh and Ali Razini were killed in their office in Tehran by a janitor who worked at the Palace of Justice. Both men had a history of handing down harsh sentences and had presided over several political cases. Moghiseh was under U.S. and EU sanctions for human rights violations while Razini was involved in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988.
The Big Issue
Iran Could Be Gearing Up For Talks With Trump
Last year was one to forget for Iran as it saw its regional influence wane, its military deterrence against Israel and the United States crumble, and its economy continue its free fall.
But Iran's top decision-maker, Khamenei, has been trying to project strength. On January 22, he told a crowd of supporters in Tehran that it would be "delusional" to suggest Iran has become weak. Pezeshkian made a similar comment, insisting the West "can dream" about Iran's strength diminishing.
On the same day, Zarif, a former foreign minister who currently serves as a vice president to Pezeshkian, urged Trump to adopt a "more serious, more focused, and more realistic" approach toward Iran while speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
He also added that Trump's decision in 2018 to pull out of the landmark nuclear deal was "imposed on him" by his advisers.
Why It Matters: Iran seems to be signaling to Trump that it does not hold him responsible for withdrawing from the nuclear accord but instead blames his advisers -- many of whom do not feature in his new government.
Is Iran's policy on talks with Trump changing? It may be too early to tell, but what's being said now is a major departure from Khamenei's comments in 2019, when he said it would be "ridiculous" to engage with the Republican president.
What's Being Said: Hard-liners in Iran oppose talks with the United States, especially with Trump, whom they say believe will turn the screw on the Islamic republic as part of a new-look "maximum pressure" policy.
More moderate voices, however, are the authorities who could engage with Trump. The Khabar Online news website on January 22 said Pezeshkian had "an unrepeatable opportunity" to negotiate with the U.S. president, given his desire for making deals.
Political pundit Hossein Beheshtipur, meanwhile, told Iranian newspaper Ettelaat that Tehran had to "directly" speak with Trump but to do so from "a position of strength," a likely reference to Iran's expansion of its nuclear and missiles programs.
Expert Opinion: "Willingness to talk does not mean a deal is likely. The road to a new understanding is steep and there will be significant obstacles," says Gregory Brew, senior analyst at the Washington-based Eurasia Group.
What's Ahead
• Afghan and Iranian media say Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will travel to Afghanistan "soon," but no date has been announced yet. His trip would mark the first official visit to Kabul by an Iranian foreign minister since the Taliban seized power in 2021. Iran does not recognize the Taliban government, but that has not stopped it from establishing relations with it.
• Award-winning movie The Seed of the Sacred Fig by Iranian dissident director Mohammad Rasoulof has been nominated for an Academy Award as Germany's entry. Stay tuned as RFE/RL's Radio Farda will publish an interview with the celebrated director next week.
