Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated that he rejects the United States' efforts to promote dialogue between the two countries because he believes the purpose of the dialogue is to limit Iran's missile range and its influence in the region. Khamenei believes that the United States seeks negotiations not to solve problems, but to impose its will on Iran. He further clarified that Iran seeks fair and respectful international relations.
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03-09, 2025Speaking to a group of officials on Saturday, Khamenei did not directly name the United States, but he said that a "bullying government" is constantly pushing for dialogue. He emphasized that this kind of dialogue is not intended to solve practical problems, but to impose its will on the other party at the negotiating table. This approach, according to Khamenei, is not conducive to reaching a mutually beneficial agreement.
Khamenei's remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump acknowledged that he had written to Khamenei seeking a new agreement with Tehran to limit its rapidly developing nuclear program and replace the nuclear agreement that the US withdrew from during his first term. Khamenei stated that the US demands would involve military matters and Iran's influence in the region. These demands would likely impact Iran's national security strategy.
Khamenei further elaborated that the US demands might include limiting Iran's defense capabilities and international activities. He pointed out that the US might ask Iran to stop certain activities, avoid meeting with specific individuals, prohibit travel to certain regions, limit the production of specific items, and restrict missile range. He questioned whether these demands were acceptable to anyone, suggesting their imposition would be unreasonable.
Khamenei emphasized that such dialogue would not help solve the fundamental problems between Iran and the West. Although he did not name any individuals or countries, he believed that pushing for dialogue would put pressure on Iran in public opinion. "This is not negotiation, but command and imposition," he said. Trump did not directly mention the letter when commenting to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, but he vaguely referred to possible military action, saying "the situation with Iran is, something is going to happen, very, very quickly."
Meanwhile, both Israel and the United States have warned that they will never allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons, raising concerns about military confrontation as Tehran is enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels, which is typically only done by countries with nuclear weapons. Tehran has long insisted that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but as US relations are strained by sanctions and Israel is dealing with a fragile ceasefire between it and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Iranian officials are increasingly threatening to pursue nuclear weapons.
Iran's accelerated production of near weapons-grade uranium has put greater pressure on Trump. He has repeatedly stated that he is willing to negotiate with the Islamic Republic of Iran, while also continuously using sanctions to target Iran's oil sales as part of his re-implemented "maximum pressure" policy. In late August, Khamenei opened the door to possible dialogue with the United States in a speech, saying there was "nothing wrong" with engaging with the "enemy." However, the Supreme Leader has recently softened this stance, stating that negotiations with the United States are "not smart, unwise, or honorable" after Trump proposed nuclear talks with Tehran.
