Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that nuclear talks with the United States were unlikely to yield any results.
He made the remarks during a ceremony marking the first anniversary of the death of former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in northern Iran last year.
Khamenei recalled that Raisi, in his first press appearance after taking office in 2021, had categorically stated that he would not engage in direct talks with the US.
While indirect negotiations did take place during Raisi’s presidency, Khamenei emphasized they yielded no results.
According to Khamenei, the late President “did not allow the enemy to claim that Iran was brought to the negotiation table through threats.”
“Even now, we don’t believe any meaningful outcome will emerge, and we do not know what will happen.”
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Iran and the United States have held four rounds of Omani-mediated nuclear talks since 12 April, the highest-level contact between the two countries since Washington abandoned the 2015 nuclear accord.
They had confirmed plans to hold another round of discussions during their last meeting on 11 May, which Iran described as “difficult but useful”, while a US official said Washington was “encouraged.”
However, repeated clashes between the pair have thrown the next round of negotiations, which a news agency said were expected to take place in Rome at the weekend, into doubt.
US President Donald Trump ditched the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed by Iran and world powers during his last term in office.
Intent on striking a new deal since his return to power in January, he has revived his “maximum pressure” approach against Iran, warning last week that talks needed to “move quickly or something bad is going to happen.”
Iran currently enriches uranium to 60%, far above the 3.67% limit set in the 2015 deal and close though still short of the 90% needed for a nuclear warhead.
Western countries, including the US have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire atomic weapons, while Iran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.
Iran has repeatedly insisted its right to maintain uranium enrichment was “non-negotiable”, while chief US negotiator Steve Witkoff has called it a “red line.”
On Sunday, Witkoff reiterated that the United States “cannot allow even one percent of an enrichment capability.”
Earlier, Iran’s Foreign Minister and lead negotiator, Abbas Araghchi said, “enrichment in Iran, however, will continue with or without a deal.”
“If the US is interested in ensuring that Iran will not have nuclear weapons, a deal is within reach, and we are ready for a serious conversation to achieve a solution that will forever ensure that outcome.”
Abbas Araghchi
Khamenei Slams US Nuclear Demands
Moreover, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei derided demands from the United States that it halt nuclear enrichment as negotiations between the two countries hang in the balance.
“Saying things like ‘We will not allow Iran to enrich uranium’ is nonsense. No one [in Iran] is waiting for others’ permission.”
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Tehran confirmed on Tuesday that it has received and is reviewing a US proposal.
However, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi had said the previous day that talks would fail if Washington insisted that Tehran refrained from domestic enrichment of uranium, which the US says is a possible pathway to developing nuclear bombs.
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