Iran Leader Refuses Talks With US, Threatens Back


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Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei firmly rejected any possibility of negotiations with the United States during his address on Friday, cautioning Iranian officials that engaging in diplomatic talks with Washington would be degrading.

Speaking at an Air Force event commemorating the 1979 Islamic revolution, Khamenei dismissed suggestions that diplomatic negotiations could resolve ongoing issues between the two nations.

The supreme leader’s stance follows President Trump’s recent announcement to reinstate his “maximum pressure” strategy against Iran, aimed at restricting the nation’s ability to fund terrorist activities, limiting its regional influence, and preventing nuclear weapons development.

This marks a significant departure from Obama’s previous approach, which sought to improve relations through the 2015 JCPOA nuclear agreement. Despite this diplomatic effort, Iran repeatedly violated the agreement’s terms, leading to serious concerns from the IAEA.

“Some people pretend that if we sit at the negotiating table, some problem will be solved, but the fact that we must understand correctly is that negotiating with the US has no effect on solving the country’s problems,” Khamenei stated.

Reflecting on past negotiations, Khamenei said, “Our government at the time sat down and negotiated – they continued to come and go, they sat down and stood up and negotiated, they talked, laughed, shook hands, made friends, everyone worked, and a treaty was formed.”

He criticized America’s withdrawal from the agreement, concluding that negotiations with the U.S. government would be “unwise, unintelligent and dishonorable.”

His comments appeared directed at both Trump’s administration and President Pezeshkian’s government, particularly given Pezeshkian’s inclusion of former JCPOA negotiator Mohammad Javad Zarif in his cabinet as strategic affairs vice president.

The supreme leader escalated his rhetoric, declaring, “If they threaten us, we will threaten them. If they put their threat into practice, we will do the same. If they attack the security of our nation, we will attack their security without hesitation.”

Meanwhile, Trump signed executive orders reinforcing sanctions and eliminating previous policy exemptions. Addressing Iranian threats against him following the 2020 Soleimani strike, Trump warned, “Not because of me. If they did that, they would be obliterated. That would be the end. I’ve left instructions. If they do it, they get obliterated. There won’t be anything left.”

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