New Delhi, July 2 -- TEHRAN - The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran endorsed the memorandum of understanding with the United States by his own account as a concession to his president, not as an expression of his own judgment. "I, as a matter of principle, held a different view," Mojtaba Khamenei stated in a letter released on June 18, "however, out of the commitment that the esteemed president gave to me, I granted my permission." He specified that permission was conditional on assurances that Iranian rights would be protected, and that in-person negotiations "will not mean acceptance of the enemy's position."

"it was the American president who, out of desperation, used all kinds of leverage to bring this about." The MoU is...