Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that he approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the presidents of Iran and the United States despite his reservations, and said future negotiations with Washington would be held face-to-face, though such talks would not amount to accepting the U.S. position.In a message addressed to the Iranian nation, Khamenei said he had initially held a different view on the agreement but granted permission after receiving assurances from President Masoud Pezeshkian and other members of the Supreme National Security Council that the rights of the Iranian nation and the interests of the "Resistance Front" would be safeguarded.The Iranian leader said the MoU was signed after officials made extensive efforts to reach an agreement, while asserting that the U.S. president had used "all kinds of leverage" to bring it about.Khamenei said Pezeshkian, acting as head of the Supreme National Security Council, had personally committed on behalf of himself and other council members to protecting Iran's interests and had explicitly accepted responsibility for ensuring that the agreement upheld those commitments.According to Khamenei, the Iranian president also assured him that Tehran would not submit to any excessive demands from Washington during the implementation of the agreement."From this moment on, we—that is, you, the proud nation, and this humble servant—will await the realization of the aforementioned conditions," Khamenei said.Referring to the next phase of diplomacy, Khamenei said future negotiations with the United States would take place in person but stressed that direct engagement should not be interpreted as a concession by Tehran."Future in-person negotiations will not mean acceptance of the enemy's position," he said.The remarks mark Khamenei's first public comments on the MoU and signal his conditional backing for the agreement, while underscoring that Iran expects its national rights and interests to be protected as negotiations move forward.