Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded strongly on Tuesday to U.S. criticism of the country’s nuclear program, asserting that Iran would not seek approval from anyone to enrich uranium. He dismissed American statements as “nonsense.”
Khamenei remarked, “They say, ‘We won’t allow Iran to enrich uranium.’ That’s completely out of line. No one in Iran is waiting for their permission. The Islamic Republic has its own policies, and it will stick to them.”
These comments came amid ongoing indirect talks between Iran and the U.S., though Khamenei expressed skepticism about their effectiveness. He pointed out that similar talks during the presidency of Ebrahim Raisi had failed to produce results and added, “We don’t expect much from the current ones either. Who knows what will happen.”
The remarks reflect Iran’s increasing frustration with stalled nuclear discussions and the broader tensions that have marked U.S.-Iran relations in recent years.
Esmaeil Baghaei, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told the state-run IRNA news agency that no final decision had been made regarding the next round of talks. He explained that Iran was reviewing the situation while taking into account the contradictory and ever-changing positions from the U.S.
IRNA also reported that Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, confirmed that Tehran had received a proposal regarding the next round of indirect talks with Washington and was currently considering it.
