Iran’s supreme leader breaks silence on US peace deal

[00:00:00]Iran's Supreme Leader has publicly responded to the deal with America for the first time, saying he wasn't in favor of it. Let's get straight out to our Washington correspondent, Jonathan Kersley, who joins us live now. Hello to you, Jono. Why did the Ayatollah ultimately back this arrangement?

[00:00:18]>> This is a really fascinating insight from Ayatollah Maji. Again, we haven't heard his voice or seen him in front of a camera. And that's been the case ever since the conflict started back in February when his father, the then Ayatollah Ali was killed. But essentially what Mosh Mahoney is doing here is putting it on the president of Iran, Musled Peshkian, who along with Donald Trump yesterday signed the memorandum of understanding that Vice President JD Van says now comes into effect today. Today being day one of the 60-day negotiations. But this is some of what Ayat Mash Bahaman had to say in a statement that was issued through Iranian state media. He said, "I in principle had a different opinion, but due to the commitment that the honorable president as the head of the Supreme National Security Council gave on behalf of himself and other members to uphold the rights of the Iranian nation and the resistant front and explicitly accepted responsibility for it, I issued permission for it." So that is somewhat of an extraordinary statement of the balance of power inside Iran indicating that the Ayatollah has essentially seeded power in this instance to President Masud Peshki that he is trusting him to carry out this arrangement on the best wills of the Iranian people. Vice President JD Vance fronted a press conference inside the White House today. many central issues around what he was talking about, including the straight of Hormuz, how long that would stay open for, what would happen after the 60 days, the lifting of sanctions, the $300 billion reconstruction fund uh that the vice president indicated would largely come from uh Middle East and uh Arab nations, if you like, private investment funds.

[00:02:04]He was also pressed on exactly what Iran is getting now that it didn't have prior to this conflict. This was his response.

[00:02:20]I think we got some issues trying to bring you that sound bite. So John, let's just move on to what JD Vance has been saying. um an extraordinary rebuke to Israeli cabinet ministers coming hot off the heels of President Trump's much softer stance towards Iran having missiles and even to Hezbollah.

[00:02:42]>> Yeah, it's been really interesting to see the relationship and how it is transpiring between the United States and Israel at the most senior leader levels over the course of the last week or so. Well, really over the course of this conflict. Prime Minister Netanyahu and senior cabinet members have essentially said that they do not see this agreement as binding to them. So what that would mean for the conflict with Hezbollah inside Lebanon? Well, that really remains to be seen. Israel is holding its line that it will, as is his right, defend itself in the nature of an attack. We heard from a senior Lebanese figure a short time ago saying that they now expect Israel to come to the floor and come to the party and adhere to uh the ceasefire agreement that has essentially been extended. One that uh is designed to stop the conflict on all fronts including that one between Israel and Hezbollah. And there's been tension between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu and a number of Israeli cabinet members critical of President Trump signing this deal, viewing it as not in favor of Israel.

[00:03:48]Interestingly, President Trump gave an interview to his an Israeli journalist based here in Washington DC a short time ago, telling her that if indeed Israel decided to carry out an attack on Iran if it was provoked, then absolutely, in his words, the United States would support and defend Israel. So, another interesting turn in this entire dynamic, this time from President Trump. But yes, Vice President Vance delivering an extraordinary rebuke to Israeli cabinet ministers critical of President Trump over this memorandum of understanding.

[00:04:21]If we have that soundbite available, this is what the vice president had to say on that front. to some of these cabinet members in Israel who are attacking the president of the United States. The other thing that I would say is that over the last three months, twothirds of the defensive weapons that have protected your homeland have been built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars. The problem for Israel is not Donald J. Trump. And anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the president of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation that country is in.

[00:04:59]And already that message from Vice President Vance has been met with criticism in some quarters inside Israel. One minister saying publicly that it is Israel who has helped save the lives of American people with Israeli intelligence. So while at least on the surface both President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu continue to reiterate that they have a very strong and positive relationship, it is clear that there are tensions inside both camps over the course of this conflict and the nature of this memorandum of understanding.