Iranian people 'nervous' regime may receive 'lifeline' in deal, expert says
Cameron Khansarinia, chief of staff to exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, joins 'Sunday Morning Futures' to argue that while President Donald Trump’s 'maximum pressure' campaign and military strikes have brought the Iranian regime to its knees, the Iranian people remain skeptical that the 'dishonest brokers' in Tehran will ever abide by a permanent peace deal.
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An advisor to Iran’s exiled crown prince warned Sunday that a potential peace deal between President Donald Trump and what remains of the Iranian regime could amount to a "lifeline" for Tehran, asserting that the regime wouldn’t honor the agreement anyway.
Cameron Khansarinia, chief of staff to the exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi, blasted the Islamic Republic and "its terrorist proxies" for decades of oppression on "Sunday Morning Futures."
"The people in the country with whom we speak on a daily basis, frankly, are nervous. They're nervous that their regime, which has held them hostage for 47 years, might be thrown a lifeline yet again," he said.
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A memorial ceremony was held at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Mosque in Tehran for those who died in the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel following the Feb. 28 attacks on May 24, 2026. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)
He added that Iranians would "stop at nothing short of complete freedom," and that any deal reached by "the criminal regime that’s occupying the country" is illegitimate because "the people of Iran do not accept this regime."
"So we'll see what's in the specifics, what's in the details," Khansarinia said. "But I think it's important to remember that this regime will not abide by anything it agrees to."
A woman walks past a billboard showing a military hand holding the Strait of Hormuz with Farsi text which reads, "In Iran's hands forever," "Trump couldn't do a damn thing," "The control of Strait of Hormuz will be Iran's forever," in Vanak Square, in northern Tehran, Iran, on April 16, 2026. (Vahid Salemi/AP)
"It's proven that for 47 years. They'll lie, they'll cheat, and they'll steal to get what they want to stay in power, to continue to murder Iranians and, unfortunately, Americans."
Trump said the negotiations with Iran are proceeding in an "orderly and constructive" manner on Sunday, but he reiterated America's hardline stances.
"The Blockade will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed. Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes! Our relationship with Iran is becoming a much more professional and productive one," Trump wrote on Truth Social, repeating his commitment to preventing the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
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The president’s optimistic assessment comes as a senior administration official told Fox News on Sunday that the U.S. may be willing to make "significant accommodations" for Iran on sanctions relief if the nation's leaders are willing to make similar accommodations to the U.S. on enriched uranium.
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Khansarinia expressed a less heartened point of view, saying the region finds itself "on the cusp of a major decision point."
"Do we want to finally tip this regime over the edge? Do we want to empower the Iranian people to take their country back, or do we want to sign a deal with this regime that I think we all understand, Iranians and Americans, it won't abide by?" he said.
Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Max Bacall is an Associate Editor for the Flash/Media/Culture team at Fox News Digital.
