Reformist Leader Urges Iran to Seek US Deal Amidst War Concerns and Economic Hardship

A prominent reformist politician has asserted that Iran must pursue an agreement with the United States to de-escalate the ongoing conflict, citing Iran's inability to rival American military might and diplomatic influence. Gholamhossein Karbaschi, who previously served as the mayor of Tehran, cautioned that a protracted war would exacerbate domestic suffering for Iran's approximately 90 million citizens. "We cannot take on America’s power and diplomacy," Karbaschi stated on Iranian state television, challenging the narratives of some commentators who suggest Tehran has triumphed over Washington while many Iranians face hardship. He advocated for a "non-emotional assessment of the situation," noting the absence of a clear resolution and urging officials to consider the repercussions of continued hostilities. Karbaschi emphasized that Iranians were "never volunteers for war." He also criticized the Iranian attacks on three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that these actions undermined the peace process and provided the US with a justification to abandon the interim accord. "If the Islamabad agreement had been implemented as it should have been, the incident involving the targeting of the three ships would not have happened," he remarked, distinguishing between the cause of an agreement's violation and a pretext for it. These attacks reportedly occurred approximately ten days after the US and Iran signed the Islamabad memorandum of understanding on June 17. Karbaschi highlighted that the interim agreement had benefited Tehran and surprised observers, particularly as Washington had accepted its terms despite Israeli opposition. He posited that the subsequent ship attacks presented the US with an opportunity to breach the agreement and questioned the perpetrators, noting the lack of public claims of responsibility. "Everyone says, ‘We don’t know who attacked the three ships,’" he observed, posing the question to President Masoud Pezeshkian, "Can it be that the president doesn’t know?" Karbaschi's remarks were disseminated by various media outlets, including the Entekhab newspaper. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a strong rebuttal through its spokesman, Hossein Mohebi. Mohebi refuted any suggestions that the attacks were unauthorized or lacked senior official approval, characterizing the strikes as a "decisive and crushing response" to what he described as the third instance of US non-compliance with its commitments. He accused Washington of reneging on its obligations twice during negotiations and a third time post-memorandum signing. "In the armed forces, no action is taken without observing the chain of command and co-ordinating with senior officials," Mohebi was quoted as saying by the reformist Shargh newspaper.