Iranians inside and outside the country look with trepidation at the Trump administration’s negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. It now appears that Trump will not attack Iran, despite having promised to do so if protesters were killed, and he is focused only on Iran’s nuclear program, not on the ballistic missiles that are a much more immediate threat to American bases in the region, to Israeli cities, and to Saudi oilfields.
Jafar Panahi, Iran’s most famous film director, whose film “It Was Just An Accident” just won the Palme d’Or in Cannes and is a favorite to win an Oscar, just gave an interview to Agence France-Presse on his fear that Iranians’ interests will be “sacrificed” in US talks. More of his interview with AFP can be found here: “Iran filmmaker Panahi fears Iranians’ interests will be ‘sacrificed’ in US talks,” AFP, February 5, 2026:
Panahi, Iran’s best-known director, offered support for anti-government protests last month in which thousands of people were killed by security forces, according to rights groups.
US President Donald Trump, having initially encouraged the demonstrations, has since focused his attention on making a deal with Iran’s clerical leadership over the country’s nuclear and missile programmes.
In an interview in Paris on Wednesday, Panahi told AFP that “whatever happens in these negotiations they will not be in the people’s favour”.
“The people have no representative in these negotiations, and their interests are never taken into account. They can easily be sacrificed in these exchanges,” he added.
Panahi’s comments reflect concerns that the talks between US and Iranian officials scheduled for Friday in Muscat could help consolidate the power of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Panahi has been out of Iran for the last few months and his latest film “It Was Just an Accident” is in the running for Best International Feature at the Oscars.
The 65-year-old has been sentenced to a year in jail during his absence for “propaganda activities” against the state, but insisted to AFP he planned to return home….
“It is my home and I will return to my country,” he told AFP.
He may not have a choice about returning home. If the regime holds on, it may forbid him from re-entering his own country, condemning him to an involuntary exile where he will be separated from his family, who will be held hostage as a way to ensure that he doesn’t call for “Death to the Dictator.” And as an Iranian director, used to his all-Iranian casts and crews, he would have a hard time practicing his craft outside of Iran.
But now Jafar Panahi has said aloud to AFP what many Iranians are thinking: he fears that Trump, now quite content to be negotiating with the mass murderers in Tehran, will sacrifice the interests of the Iranian people to his own manic desire to take credit for making “peace” with Iran, while visions of a Nobel Prize dance in his head. Let us hope, then, that Trump will be goaded beyond endurance by the Iranians who will reject all three of his demands, and then have to take the other path, the one marked by bombs away.
Wellington says
To date there is no way around the fact that Trump since the beginning of this year is not looking good where Iran is concerned. Perhaps Trump is still in some kind of deceitful mode and which I state here as a total positive, but by the day Trump comes up shorter and shorter in this matter.
Anyone care to disagree? Well then, give it a shot.
GE says
No argument here.
Walter Sieruk says
The very idea of having “negotiations” with those tyrants is very wrong, for in a sense, such “talks’ will give a type of an image of “legitimacy” to that murderously brutal bloodthirsty cruel horrific Islamic tyranny of Iran.
Furthermore, it’s outright folly end naïve stupidity to feel and thing the those despots can be reason in honest dialogue. .Those tyrants with disingenuous words, half-truths and outright lies of Islamic deception, Taqiyya, will only be stalling for time restore their deadly weapons construction and manufacturing center to engage further jihad /murder attacks against America and Israel, some of those weapons they will to Hamas and Hezbollah.
For that hostile:” mullah regime” hates America and the American people and wants to destroy us no matter what. So let’s get it over with a strike that Islamic tyranny.. President Trump should enough information to realize this.
Nevertheless Donald Trump, sadly, is proving by his own inaction that he must be all talk and no action of undertaking the fitting US military operation to keep is promises to the Iranian people.
By Trump making himself to be buff, empty words and false promises he terribly let down the Iranians who trusted him to keep his word of aiding the Iranian patriots with American military force.
Donald Trump by not backing up his words US Air Force strikes at that regimes weapon and tyranny control centers, Trump has very much tarnished is reputation as strong determined man who keeps his word . Likewise, he has put dishonor upon the office of the Presidency of the United States.
As for the latter part of the above, top quote “Trump did nothing except to enter into negotiations with the Islamic Republic.” The fact of reality is that it’s just far too late for any type of “diplomatic settlement’.” The reason why this is so is because the massive murderous human carnage with so much innocent human bloodshed that is so horrendous evil that those brutal cruel death- inflecting despots of Iran must be brought to justice, in the they must be severely punished Likewise, their tyrannical Islamic regime need to be destroyed.
B says
If Trump encouraged the revolt where thousands were killed then he will never be trusted again because his words don’t mean anything. On the other hand he’s trying to show the world that he’d rather have a peaceful outcome but for who? Won’t be for all the people who risked their lives. That’s for sure. He could also be playing some sort of game or preparation to invade. I’m disappointed but I don’t really know what he may do.
OLD GUY says
Not knowing what Trump will do is driving the Iranian leaders nuts. Instead of the U.S. attacking Iran, we maybe arming a resistance group within Iran to overthrow the existing government. Keep them guessing.
Walter Sieruk says
It’s hardly believable that President Trump would be, so very foolish, as to be willing to take part in that fool’s quest of trying to have genuine negotiations of any value or worth with. That most evil tyrant Khamenei and those other despots in power in that Islamic tyrannical regime played that deception tactic of having “talks.”
\In any such so called “talks” the officials of that tyranny would only speak half- truths and outright lies.
We need to pray and hope that President Trump will wake up to reality and then immediately reject such “talks.” For Khamenei and those other despots in power in that Islamic tyrannical regime playing that deception tactic of having so called “talks.”
Furthermore, it very important to understand that it’s just far too late for any type of “diplomatic settlement’.” The reason why this is so is because the massive human carnage is so horrendous that those murderous despots of Iran must be brought to justice. Likewise, their tyrannical Islamic regime need to be destroyed.
Last, but no least important, there’s an very old Bible based saying which is “Have no dialogue with the Devil” It’s based on Genesis chapter three in with Eve talks with Satan through the serpent. The result of that dialogue was disaster for Adam and Eve and all of humankind. Likewise, Donald Trump even have any intention of having talks, negotiations, with the Khamenei of any other despot of that Islamic tyranny is the wrong move.
For dictators are sons of Satan and that if President Trump has any wisdom at all. He will call off “talks,” For if Trump goes through with such “negotiations” he might fall for the beguiling lying words with would in a bogus “peace agreement” that would be a disaster for America, a disaster for Israel , a disaster for the Iranian people and a disaster for the world.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
The Iranian diaspora has been actively demonstrating in cities worldwide, from Seattle to Melbourne, Australia. Their countrymen have suddenly gone quiet, while the negotiations are getting worse: Witkoff agreed to reduce the scope of the discussions to just the nukes, and not discuss the killing of demonstrators. If the Iranians want to be liberated, they need to renew the insurrection, but this time, do much more than scream “Death to the Dictator” or “Pahlavi will return”. They need to go after weapons depots, seize the weapons and start massacring known IRGC members
Once they do, then there will be a possibility of being liberated. Don’t count on the US doing it
David A Grisez says
I also am concerned about Donald Trump negotiating with the leadership of Iran. The Shite Ayatollah and Mullah leadership must be attacked and removed from power in Iran. A negotiated settlement will only keep this evil and wicked and murderous leadership in power. This will be a total failure for the people of Iran and the United States. It will also allow this evil leadership to massacre more Iranian people to maintain their power and control.
SKA says
After reading Dr. Francisco Gil-White’s analyses of Trump’s actions toward Israel and the rest of the Middle East in his “Management of Reality” Substack I see no reason to trust Trump. Although infinitely preferable to his alternatives his policies toward Israel remain ambivalebt.
James Lincoln says
You don’t negotiate with a terrorist regime that incessantly chants “Death to America”.
You crush it.
Walter Sieruk says
President Trump shoild no have “talks ” with those despicable murderous lying despots of Iran ,Trump should instead aid the Iranian patriots in their righteous quest to overthrow that horrendous Islamic tyranny and then have a legitimate , genuine , government that respects and ensures the basic human rights of the people of Iran.
Horatio says
Negotiating with the Iranian killers over the dead bodies of the protesters who he encouraged to rebel will go down as one of the most sickening acts of betrayal that ever occurred.