Supreme Leader Khamenei responds after the US president said he had sent a letter to Tehran in search of new consultations.
The US is not asking for negotiations with Iran, it is imposing a demand for it, the country’s top leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said after President Donald Trump wrote to Iranian leaders earlier this week trying to open talks on a nuclear deal.
Khamenei’s comments on Saturday came after Trump said in an interview with the Fox business that there are two ways that we can handle Iran: “There are two ways we can deal with Iran: military, or you’ll do the deal,” and that Tehran will prevent him from acquiring nuclear weapons. Tehran officials reiterated on Saturday that they had not yet received the letter from Trump.
However, during a meeting with senior Iranian officials, Khamenei dismissed the entire premise and accused Washington of seeking even greater restrictions than previous negotiations.
“Some bullying governments are insisting on negotiations,” he said. “However, their negotiations are not intended to resolve the issue, but to control and impose their own expectations.”
“For them, negotiations are a way to introduce new demands. The problem is not just the nuclear issue, but it raises new expectations that Iran certainly won’t accept it,” Khamenei added.
“They demand restrictions on the country’s defense capabilities and international impact, saying, “Don’t do this, don’t meet that person, don’t produce that item” or “Your missile range must not exceed certain limits,” he said.
“Maximum pressure”
Since taking office in January for his second term, Trump has expressed openness to new deals with Tehran, but has pledged to revive an aggressive sanctions campaign and drive Tehran’s oil exports to zero.
In 2018, Trump first imposed a so-called “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran after withdrawing the US from its Landmark 2015 contract with Iran and several Western countries. The agreement placed strict restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
Since the US withdrawal, Iran has far surpassed the limits of its nuclear programme laid out in its first deal. Subsequent efforts by President Joe Biden and the administration of European leaders have proven fruitless for European leaders to get the agreement back on track.
On Thursday, the US imposed new sanctions targeting Iran’s oil industry, the main source of revenue. The measure is aimed at companies, vessels and individuals who are already affiliated with companies that are licensed by the United States. Under Biden, the United States routinely issued such penalties to implement existing sanctions.
On his part, Khamenei opened the door to new talks with the US in a speech last August, saying that involvement with the “enemy” was “no harm.”
That came after Iran elected reformist President Masuud Pezeshkian in June. He campaigned on a promise to negotiate a new contract with the world’s greats, similar to the 2015 deal that Trump retracted in 2018.
Meanwhile, Russia said earlier this week it was willing to help mediate new nuclear talks between the US and Iran amid a wider meltdown in relations between Washington and Moscow over the war in Ukraine.
UN Watchdog warns you that time runs out
The latest round-trip comes amid warnings from the UN nuclear watchdog Chiefrafaer Grossi.
Tehran continues to accelerate uranium enrichment near arms grade, the UN Monitor said.
Iran has long argued that its programme is a peaceful purpose. However, authorities are increasingly threatening to pursue greater military capabilities as tensions have risen due to US sanctions and Israel’s ongoing continued war in Gaza.
Both Israel and the US have warned that Iran will not be able to acquire nuclear weapons, leading to fear of military conflict as Tehran enriches uranium at the level of nearby weapons.
The US Intelligence Agency rated Iran, which has not yet launched its arms program, “if it chooses to do so, it is implementing activities that are better positioned to produce nuclear devices.”
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