Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s recent remarks on the government’s readiness to engage in dialogue with the opposition have sparked widespread reactions across political circles and social media. In a meeting with reformist politicians, Pezeshkian stated, “We are even ready to hold fair and just dialogue with the opposition, because resolving the country’s problems requires dialogue, not confrontation.”
This statement has drawn both praise and skepticism. The reformist-affiliated Ham-Mihan newspaper—owned by former Tehran mayor Gholamhossein Karbaschi—welcomed the remarks, noting it is rare to hear the term “opposition” used by Iranian officials. In contrast, Javan newspaper, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), headlined its coverage with a warning: “President to Reformists: Do Not Sow Division.”
Most reactions have unfolded on social media, where many users highlighted that a large portion of Iran’s opposition is currently imprisoned within the country, not abroad. Political reformist activist Saeed Shariati wrote: “The president’s words show confidence. But don’t go far. The most noble, popular, and closest opposition figure—Mir-Hossein Mousavi—is just one alley away. Visit him.”
Mir-Hossein Mousavi, a prominent critic of the Islamic Republic, has been under house arrest with his wife Zahra Rahnavard since February 2011. He has repeatedly called for a national referendum to change the constitution and form a constituent assembly, proposing a peaceful transition away from the current system.
Numerous political and economic experts have issued open letters since the Iran-Israel ceasefire, urging sweeping changes to Iran’s governance model to address the country’s worsening crises. The latest came from jailed political activist Mostafa Tajzadeh, who in a letter to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called for fundamental reforms aligned with the national will.
Tajzadeh warned that “the chance of achieving mutual concessions in negotiations with the U.S. has dwindled,” adding that “the lifting of sanctions is now nearly impossible.” He blamed “the Supreme Leader’s strategic miscalculations” for placing the Islamic Republic in its “weakest and most fragile state.”
In his letter, Tajzadeh stressed that the accumulation of crises and declining political legitimacy have emboldened Israel to contemplate “chaos, civil war, and redrawing the Middle East map.” He argued that only through meaningful reforms—such as establishing a constituent assembly via free and fair elections and amending the constitution—can Iran avoid deeper national peril.
Alternatively, he suggested that Khamenei could step down to allow sweeping, people-driven changes. At the same time, Tajzadeh cautioned that avoiding negotiations would give Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and U.S. President Trump a pretext for future military aggression.
Tajzadeh, a former Deputy Interior Minister under President Khatami and a leading reformist, has been imprisoned multiple times since the 2009 protests. He is currently serving a sentence that began in July 2022. In the letter, he condemned Israel’s military attack on Iran while affirming the right to resistance—but also criticized the regime’s strategy for making Iran more vulnerable to international hostility.
He called for structural reforms, asserting: “Only by bringing the people onto the stage can we shift the imbalance of power, make sanction relief achievable, and prevent war.” He also reiterated the demand for a referendum, saying: “Iran’s salvation requires a change in the political playing field. A referendum or a constituent assembly can do that without threatening national security.”
Tajzadeh was previously imprisoned for seven years after the 2009 protests and was re-arrested in July 2022. He now faces a five-year sentence on charges of “collusion against national security” and “spreading falsehoods.” His lawyer, Houshang Pourbabai, recently stated that, given two years remaining from his earlier sentence, Tajzadeh could remain in prison until the year 2032.