S1/E28: Under Attack, the Regime Reaches Out to the U.S. & Minorities

Iran's Gambit

In an interview with the Financial Times published on October 29, Dr. Ali-Akbar Velayati, former Foreign Minister and current foreign policy adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, indicated that Tehran is undergoing a strategic reassessment of its foreign policy, specifically with regard to engagement with Western nations. While Velayati underscored, “We do not have a positive history of negotiations with the U.S., nor do we trust U.S. intentions,” many analysts in Iran perceive the interview as an initial outreach to Washington, aimed at staving off further Israeli military action against Iran. Concurrently, President Masoud Pezeshkian’s recent appointments of ethnic and religious minorities to prominent government positions signal efforts to bolster internal unity and reinforce national solidarity under heightened international pressure.