As European leaders threatened that sanctions against Iran might be restored at any moment due to its nuclear program, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared on Tuesday that the nation doesn't wish to build nuclear weapons but refused to engage in face-to-face talks with the United States, referring to them as "a sheer dead end."
Khamenei added that Iran has no reason to negotiate with Washington, even though France, Germany, and Britain have been adamant that negotiations are required for Iran to maintain current sanctions relief.
"We have reached an advanced level in uranium enrichment. While countries aiming to develop nuclear weapons enrich uranium up to 90%, we have limited ours at 60%," Khamenei said in a national address. He repeated that Iran would not increase enrichment to weapons-grade levels, "because we have no need for such weapons and have intended to not pursue nuclear weapons."
The supreme leader ruled out talks with Washington, calling them "a sheer dead end." "It means we become frightened & surrender in the face of threats."
He added, "The US side says Iran mustn’t have enrichment whatsoever; what does this mean? It means they’re saying this great achievement for which our country has worked so hard should be destroyed! The Iranian nation will slap anyone who suggests such a thing and refuse to accept it."
"The US has announced the results of the talks in advance," he said. "The result is the closure of nuclear activities and enrichment. This is not a negotiation. It is a diktat, an imposition." "Negotiating with the US is severely detrimental. They've threatened if we don’t negotiate, they’ll do this & that. Accepting such negotiations means Islamic Republic of Iran is susceptible to threats.
He continued, "The Americans claim that Iran should not have any enrichment at all; what is this saying? It is saying that this wonderful feat to which our nation has toiled long and hard should be annihilated! The Iranian people will slap to the ground anyone who proposes such and refuse to accept."
On past strikes against Iranian nuclear sites, Khamenei said: "They came and bombed [Iranian enrichment] facilities in this and that place. But enrichment is a science, and science cannot be destroyed. Science cannot be eliminated by bombs, threats, and such things."
His comments, broadcast by Iranian state television, followed Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's visit to the UN General Assembly in New York. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also sat down with diplomats from Britain, Germany, and France to discuss the looming sanctions.
The German foreign ministry posted on X after the negotiations that Iran had been asked by France, Germany, Britain, and the EU to move within days, "if not hours," over its nuclear program issues. The statement further mentioned that Iran needed to get back to direct negotiations with the US and allow the International Atomic Energy Agency full access to its nuclear sites "in accordance with its responsibilities."
The three European powers, the E3, have triggered the "snapback" process that would restore UN sanctions unless a deal is reached. Sanctions are to go into effect on Sunday if no agreement has been reached. Steps would involve freezing Iranian foreign assets, stopping the sale of arms to Tehran, and constraining its ballistic missile programme, among others.
