Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has once again declared his opposition to future negotiations with the United States regarding the country’s nuclear program. He asserted that the US has repeatedly violated its commitments. Khamenei stated, “The side we’re facing [the US] breaks their promises in every matter. They lie, issue military threats, assassinate people, and bomb nuclear facilities. We cannot negotiate and make agreements with such a party.” These remarks were broadcast on Iranian state television. The statements came after a meeting between Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and diplomats from Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, alongside European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. The focus of the talks was the reimposition of sanctions. Khamenei described talks with the US as a ‘sheer dead end,’ even as diplomatic discussions continue on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). In his UNGA speech, US President Donald Trump stated that Iran would “never possess a nuclear weapon,” calling Tehran the “world’s number one sponsor of terror.” Khamenei added, “The US has announced the result of the talks in advance. The result is the closure of nuclear activities and enrichment. This is not a negotiation. It is a diktat, an imposition.” The UN Security Council recently rejected a resolution to extend sanctions relief for Iran. The E3 have accused Tehran of breaching its nuclear commitments, including amassing a uranium stockpile exceeding the limits set by the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), from which Trump withdrew in 2018. The JCPOA, initially signed between Iran and global powers including the US, lifted sanctions in exchange for limitations on Iran’s nuclear program. However, Trump’s ‘maximum pressure’ policy reimposed sanctions in 2018, a policy largely continued by the Biden administration. European nations have indicated they might extend the sanctions deadline if Iran resumes direct talks with the US, allows UN nuclear inspectors access, and accounts for over 400 kg of highly enriched uranium monitored by the UN. The UNGA-side meeting yielded little progress, with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul noting it “didn’t go particularly well.”
