Dubai: Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared on Saturday that Tehran will not succumb to external pressure in negotiations, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that he had sent a letter urging Iran to negotiate a nuclear deal.
In a Fox Business interview, Trump stated, “There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal” to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
At a meeting with senior Iranian officials, Khamenei dismissed Washington’s demands, saying, “The insistence of some bullying governments on negotiations is not to resolve issues… It is a pathway to impose new demands, not just regarding Iran’s nuclear program.”
A White House National Security Council spokesperson, Brian Hughes, reiterated Trump’s position, emphasizing that Iran has the choice between negotiations or military action.
Despite Trump’s openness to a deal, he has reinstated the “maximum pressure” campaign from his first term, aiming to isolate Iran economically and reduce its oil exports. Trump previously withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement, which had placed strict limits on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. After the U.S. exit in 2018, Iran exceeded those restrictions.
U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi warned that time is running out for diplomacy, as Iran continues to enrich uranium close to weapons-grade levels. Tehran insists its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes.
Khamenei, who has the final say in Iran’s policies, asserted that Iran would not bow to foreign demands concerning its defense capabilities, missile range, and regional influence.
Although Tehran claims its ballistic missile program is defensive, Western nations view it as destabilizing. Recently, Iran has unveiled new military advancements, including its first drone carrier and an underground naval base, amid rising tensions with the U.S. and Israel.
