On June 30, Iran's state broadcaster IRINN cut to a black screen during a pre-recorded interview with Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and head of Iran's negotiating team with the U.S. The broadcast was interrupted while Ghalibaf was discussing the unfreezing of $12 billion in assets, stating, "Yes, it is $12 billion. They will do it, and it is happening now," just before the transmission ceased.
The Iranian Parliament's press office expressed outrage, stating that the interview footage had been delivered to state television two hours prior to the broadcast and was cut without prior consultation. While the state broadcaster claimed the remaining content would be aired in a future segment, the Parliament believes key information was intentionally omitted.
The unbroadcasted portion reportedly included discussions on the potential visit of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to Iranian nuclear facilities, the method of asset unfreezing, a proposed $300 billion reconstruction fund from the U.S., and messages from the Supreme Leader regarding negotiations with the U.S.
In the interview, Ghalibaf described the MOU as a "document of American defeat" and criticized opponents of the negotiations. He pointed out that hardliners who view any agreement with the U.S. as capitulation are merely echoing the claims of President Donald Trump.
This incident is seen as a reflection of the power struggle within Iran regarding negotiations with the U.S. Even after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei approved the MOU, hardliners have continued to demand a halt to negotiations.
Iran and the U.S. are engaged in follow-up negotiations to implement the MOU. However, as sensitive issues such as asset unfreezing, nuclear inspections, and reconstruction funds become more public, internal dissent in Iran may grow, posing challenges to reaching a final agreement.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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