Tehran:
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday warned that Tehran would reciprocate “without hesitation” if the United States threatened or carried out actions against Iran. He also said any negotiations with America were “not smart, wise, or honourable”, days after US President Donald Trump floated nuclear talks with Iran.
“They make statements about us, express opinions and issue threats. If “If they threaten us, we will threaten them. If they carry out this threat, we will carry out our threat. If they attack the security of our nation, we will attack their security without hesitation,” Khamenei said during a meeting with army commanders marking the anniversary of Iran’s 1979 revolution and carried by Iranian state media.
Khamenei also criticised Trump’s past administration for not honouring its promises but stopped short of renewing a ban on direct talks with Washington decreed during the first Trump administration in 2018.
“Negotiating with America is neither smart, wise, or honourable. It will not solve any of our problems. The reason? Experience!” said Khamenei, adding that the United States had previously “ruined, violated, and tore up” a 2015 nuclear deal, and “the same person who is in power now tore up the treaty”.
During Trump’s first term, which ended in 2021, Washington withdrew from the landmark nuclear deal that had imposed curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. Tehran adhered to the 2015 deal — known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — until a year after Washington pulled out but then began rolling back its commitments. Any effort to revive the deal has since faltered.
Khamenei said Iran was “very generous” during the negotiations that culminated in the deal, but it “did not achieve the intended results”.
Trump’s Offer
Trump, who returned to the White House on January 20, reinstated on Tuesday his “maximum pressure” policy towards Iran over allegations the country is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. A day later, he suggested striking a “verified nuclear peace agreement” with Tehran, adding in his social media post that Iran “cannot have a Nuclear Weapon”.
Iran, meanwhile, insists its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes and denies any intention to develop atomic weapons.
US Sanctions On Tehran
Following the policy’s reinstatement, Washington on Thursday announced financial sanctions on entities and individuals accused of shipping hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian crude oil to China.
Tehran on Friday condemned the sanctions as “illegal”, saying they were “categorically unjustified and contrary to international rules”.
“We must understand this correctly: they should not pretend that if we sit down at the negotiating table with that government (the US administration), problems will be solved,” Khamenei said.
“No problem will be solved by negotiating with America,” he added.
Khamenei’s remarks came at a time when Iran has repeatedly expressed a willingness to revive the nuclear deal, with President Masoud Pezeshkian calling for an end to the country’s isolation. His Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also recently asked the Trump administration to work to regain Tehran’s trust if it wants a new round of nuclear talks.
Tehran has also said it hopes Trump will adopt a “realistic” approach towards countries in the Middle East including Iran.
Blow To Iran’s Economy
Western sanctions, especially since the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal, have taken a toll on millions of Iranians struggling to make ends meet amid high inflation and a plunging currency.
Khamenei acknowledged this on Friday, saying “almost most segments of the population have some problems” but adding they could be solved internally.
The current “respected government can reduce the livelihood problems of the people”, he said.
Moreover, without directly mentioning Gaza, Khamenei also claimed the US administration was trying “to change the map of the world”.
“Of course, it is only on paper, it has no basis in reality,” he added.