Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated that he rejects the United States’ attempts at negotiations between the two countries, as they would lead to restrictions on Iran’s missile range and its influence in the region.
Speaking with a group of officials on Saturday, Khamenei did not name the United States directly but referred to a “persecuting government” that was insisting on talks.
“Their negotiations are not aimed at solving problems; they are meant to impose what they want on the party sitting on the other side of the table,” he said.
Khamenei’s comments came a day after President Donald Trump confirmed sending a letter to Khamenei requesting a new agreement with Tehran to limit the rapid development of Iran’s nuclear program and replace the nuclear deal from which the United States withdrew during Trump’s first term.
In his remarks to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, President Trump did not directly mention the letter. However, he made a reference to possible military action, saying: “We have a situation with Iran, and something will happen very soon. Very soon.”
The offer for talks came while both Israel and the United States have warned that they will not allow Iran to produce nuclear weapons, raising fears of a military confrontation as Iran enriches uranium to weapons-grade levels—a process that is conducted by countries with nuclear armament.
Tehran has long claimed that its program is for peaceful purposes, even though its officials increasingly threaten to produce a nuclear bomb, as tensions rise with the United States due to sanctions and with Israel, while a fragile ceasefire remains in effect for the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The accelerated production of uranium, nearly to the level required for nuclear armament, increases pressure on President Trump. He has consistently stated that he is open to negotiations with the Islamic Republic while also imposing increasing sanctions on Iran’s oil sales as part of his “maximum pressure” policy, VOA reports.
At the end of August, Iranian leader Khamenei gave a speech in which he opened the door for possible talks with the United States, stating that there was “no harm” in engaging with the “enemy.”
However, recently, the Supreme Leader softened this statement, saying that negotiations with the United States “are not wise, intelligent, or honest,” after President Trump mentioned the possibility of nuclear talks with Tehran.
