Tehran (Web Desk): Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, rejected US President Donald Trump's demand for negotiations over a new nuclear agreement, asserting on Saturday that the country would not bow to “bullying governments.”
Trump had revealed earlier in the week that he had sent a letter to Khamenei, urging a deal aimed at halting Iran’s advancing nuclear weapons program.
Earlier, Speaking to Fox News, Trump mentioned that they were close to finalizing an agreement, but also warned of possible military action if Iran did not comply with his demands.
However, Khamenei's response was firm, dismissing any potential talks under the terms proposed by the U.S. leader. He did not specifically mention Trump, but made it clear that Iran would never submit to negotiations intended to impose external expectations.
In a speech to Iranian officials on Saturday, Khamenei stated, “The insistence of some of the bullying governments for negotiations is not for the purpose of solving problems, but for the purpose of dominance.” Iran, he emphasized, would never accept such conditions.
Khamenei's rejection came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi swiftly dismissed Trump’s offer on Friday. Araghchi stated that Iran would not return to the negotiating table unless the U.S. first lifted its "maximum pressure" sanctions, which have severely impacted the Iranian economy. On Saturday, Araghchi also confirmed that Iran had not yet received Trump’s letter.
This rejection follows President Trump's decision during his first term to unilaterally withdraw from the nuclear agreement signed between Iran and other countries, subsequently imposing harsh sanctions as part of his maximum pressure strategy.
In recent weeks, Trump has ramped up these sanctions, particularly targeting Iran’s oil exports in an attempt to choke off funding for its nuclear program.
In the meantime, Iran has accelerated its uranium enrichment, pushing it to near weapons-grade levels.
This development has drawn repeated warnings from the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has expressed growing concern about Iran’s increasing proximity to nuclear weapons capability.
The White House did not immediately offer a response to the latest developments or Khamenei's remarks.
