Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has firmly rejected a proposal from U.S. President Donald Trump to engage in fresh nuclear negotiations.
The offer, delivered through a letter by Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the President of the United Arab Emirates, was handed to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran.
Speaking to university students in Tehran, Khamenei dismissed the invitation for dialogue as a deceptive maneuver by the United States.
“When we know they won’t honor it, what’s the point of negotiating? Therefore, the invitation to negotiate…is a deception of public opinion,” Khamenei stated, expressing deep skepticism over U.S. intentions.
He further warned that any negotiations under the current circumstances would only “tighten the knot of sanctions and increase pressure on Iran.”
This incident comes in the wake of Trump’s expressed desire to reopen nuclear talks with Iran. Trump previously stated there were two possible ways to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon: “militarily, or you make a deal.”
The diplomatic tension is rooted in the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) under Trump’s administration in 2018, followed by the reinstatement of harsh sanctions that severely impacted Iran’s economy.
In retaliation, Iran began breaching several nuclear restrictions outlined in the agreement, intensifying hostilities between the two countries.
Concerns over Iran’s nuclear program have been growing internationally, particularly among Western nations alarmed by Iran’s uranium enrichment activities nearing weapons-grade levels.
Despite Tehran’s assertions that its nuclear ambitions are peaceful, discussions have emerged regarding potential diplomatic actions, including the possible reimplementation of U.N. sanctions.
The delivery of Trump’s letter through the UAE highlights the complex web of Middle Eastern diplomacy, with the UAE holding strategic relations with both the U.S. and Iran.
However, Khamenei’s outright dismissal of the proposal underscores Iran’s refusal to negotiate under what it views as coercive circumstances.
