Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei faced rare pressure from his own top officials to allow talks with the United States over the country’s nuclear programme, according to a report by The New York Times on Friday.

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This push came ahead of the scheduled discussions between US and Iranian representatives in Oman on Saturday.

The report, based on accounts from two senior Iranian officials, reveals that Khamenei was recently confronted by the heads of Iran’s judiciary and parliament. In what was described as a rare united move, they pressed him to approve negotiations with Washington, warning that failure to do so could trigger military attacks from the US and Israel.

Also read: Is Iran preparing for war with the US? Khamenei's mouthpiece calls for ‘bullets in Trump’s skull’ as radar systems go live

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A dire warning to Iran’s leader

The senior officials reportedly told Khamenei that avoiding talks, or if the negotiations failed, would almost certainly lead to strikes on Iran’s main nuclear sites, Natanz and Fordow.

“The message to Mr. Khamenei was blunt: Allow Tehran to negotiate with Washington, even directly if necessary, because otherwise the Islamic Republic’s rule could be toppled,” the report stated. They warned that if Iran were dragged into a war while already suffering economically, it would face severe unrest at home, posing a serious risk to the survival of the regime.

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Watch: Why isn't Iran allowed nuclear weapons?

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a former commander of the Revolutionary Guards and now head of parliament, is said to have cautioned that a war combined with a collapsing economy could spiral beyond control. President Masoud Pezeshkian also told Khamenei the government could no longer manage the crisis, pointing to worsening power cuts, closed schools, and a severe water shortage in Yazd.

Talks approved, with Khanemei's conditions

Khamenei, after rejecting talks for years, has now agreed to negotiations but imposed strict conditions. According to three Iranian sources cited by the Times, he is willing to accept tougher inspections and reduce uranium enrichment. However, he made it clear Iran’s missile programme is non-negotiable, calling it a matter of national defence, a stance labelled a “deal breaker”.

Interestingly, Iran may be open to discussing its influence across the region and its ties to groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.

US-Iran talks: Direct or indirect?

While Iran has described the upcoming meeting in Oman as “indirect,” US President Donald Trump has referred to it as “direct”. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will lead the delegation, while Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, will represent the United States. Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi is set to act as a mediator.

Khamenei’s adviser, Ali Shamkhani, posted on X that Araghchi was going to Oman “with full authority for indirect negotiations with America.” He added that Iran wanted a “real, just deal—away from media show and rhetoric,” and said the key proposals were ready. If Washington showed real commitment, a deal could be reached, he suggested.

The Iranian foreign ministry echoed this sentiment, saying the US should value Tehran’s decision to engage, despite what it called America’s ongoing “confrontational hoopla.”

President Trump, meanwhile, warned again that military action was “absolutely” on the table if the talks fail. During his first term, Trump pulled the US out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers and reimposed harsh sanctions. In response, Iran abandoned parts of its commitments under that agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

(With inputs from agencies)