Hardline Iranian MP Mahmoud Nabavian disclosed what he said was internal correspondence showing Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's dissatisfaction with the Iran-U.S. memorandum, according to Iran International. State media reportedly cut the broadcast, and authorities initiated disciplinary action against Nabavian.
Iranian authorities have initiated disciplinary and legal proceedings against hardline MP Mahmoud Nabavian after he disclosed alleged internal correspondence from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei opposing US talks during a live state television broadcast earlier Sunday. As reported Sunday, the broadcast was cut off mid-disclosure (06:58 Jerusalem), and state broadcaster IRIB confirmed it violated the law. A manager at IRIB subsequently resigned, and the jurisprudential and constitutional oversight bodies of Iran's parliament have been ordered to review the matter, according to Iran International.
As The Zioneer chronicled through the day, the first reports (Saturday 21:01 Jerusalem) described the event as an accidental leak by a conservative MP, with the state news chief resigning that same evening. Subsequent bulletins (also Saturday 21:01 Jerusalem) established that Nabavian had deliberately read what he called a 'top-secret' directive criticizing the negotiation track. By Sunday morning (06:58 Jerusalem), the account was unified: Nabavian's disclosure was a law violation, and disciplinary measures were promised. The current development — formal disciplinary action — was reported at 17:38 Jerusalem.
Background context broadens the significance. As The Zioneer reported on June 13, Nabavian had earlier argued that a draft US-Iran memorandum would bring Oman into Strait of Hormuz management, crossing what he described as Khamenei's red line. On June 19 (13:37 Jerusalem), Iran threatened an indefinite Hormuz closure, while Israel's political echelon was warned (June 16, 23:02 Jerusalem) that Khamenei was not aiming for a final deal, only economic relief without nuclear concessions. The New York Times reported on June 18 that Khamenei had approved the memorandum's text on Saturday but ordered missiles readied after a Beirut strike — a sequence that may explain why a hardline MP would expose the Supreme Leader's apparently contradictory instructions.
What remains open: The authenticity of the document Nabavian read has not been independently verified. It is unclear whether disciplinary proceedings will escalate to legal prosecution or removal from parliament. IRIB has not released the full recording, and Nabavian's own account of the document's contents — reportedly including demands to remove nuclear issues from the agenda "forever" — has not been confirmed by any other source.
5 developments
- DevelopingIranian state TV reports Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei reconsiders US-Iran MOU, weighs canceling deal
- DevelopingIranian MP Nabavian: Khamenei's 'do not negotiate' directive being trampled
- DevelopingNabavian: US-Iran draft brings Oman into Strait of Hormuz management, crossing Khamenei's red line
- DevelopingIranian President Pezeshkian defends US negotiations amid hardline protests over agreement text
Source and signal
- Internal intake