Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has reportedly instructed his negotiators to move towards a deal with President Trump, despite publicly threatening total annihilation. This decision was made by Khamenei himself, an Israeli official, a regional official, and a third source with knowledge. Despite the threat of an imminent strike on Iranian infrastructure, U.S. forces in the Middle East and Pentagon were preparing for a massive bombing campaign. The deal was approved by both sides and ratified by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif three hours later. Despite initial reports of Iran breaking off talks in response, there was actually some momentum behind the scenes. All major decisions regarding the deal went through Khamenei.