Iran’s Supreme Leader Says No to Trump’s Nuclear Talks, Calls Out ‘Bully States’.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has strongly dismissed calls for negotiations from “bully states,” suggesting that such demands are less about resolving issues and more about exerting control. This came after US President Donald Trump urged Khamenei to engage in a nuclear deal with the United States.
In a recent interview with Fox News, Trump revealed that he had sent a letter to Khamenei, stressing that there are two potential paths for handling the situation with Iran: military action or diplomatic negotiation. Trump expressed a preference for diplomacy, saying, “I hope you’re going to negotiate, because it’s going to be a lot better for Iran,” while also noting that a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable.
It remains uncertain whether Khamenei received the letter, but his response to the growing pressure from world powers was clear. Though he didn’t directly name Trump, Khamenei rejected the notion of negotiations under these terms. “The insistence of certain bully states on negotiations is not meant to resolve differences but to dominate and impose their own will,” Khamenei said during a Saturday meeting with Iranian leaders, as reported by state media.
Khamenei emphasized that Iran would never yield to such demands, asserting that the country’s stance on its nuclear ambitions remains unchanged. Despite the ongoing tensions, Iran has repeatedly stated that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.
Trump, who pulled the United States out of the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement during his first term, has ramped up his “maximum pressure” strategy, which seeks to economically and diplomatically isolate Iran. This approach has been a cornerstone of his foreign policy regarding Iran, including the controversial assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.
While Trump has voiced interest in forging a new nuclear deal with Iran, the country’s response has been mixed. Just last month, Khamenei called talks with the US “unwise,” further complicating the diplomatic landscape.
In other developments, Russia has weighed in on the matter, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirming that Moscow is willing to participate in nuclear discussions between the US and Iran.
