Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has openly criticized former U.S. President Donald Trump's approach toward Iran, describing it as a form of bullying. This comes in the wake of Trump's recent threat of military action against Iran should it decline to engage in discussions regarding its nuclear program. Trump had also sent a letter to Khamenei urging new negotiations, although Iranian officials have stated that they have yet to receive this correspondence.
Ayatollah Khamenei has firmly reiterated his stance against entering negotiations with the United States, labeling such talks as "unwise." He emphasized that Iran has no intention of pursuing nuclear weapons, citing a religious decree he issued that prohibits their development. Despite this, U.S. officials estimate that Iran could potentially produce a nuclear weapon within weeks if it decided to do so.
"Some bully governments – I really don’t know of any more appropriate term for some foreign figures and leaders than the word bullying – insist on negotiations." – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
The backdrop to these developments is the U.S.'s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear accord, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018. The accord was originally designed to limit Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for lifting economic sanctions. Khamenei accused Washington of having "ruined, violated, and torn up" the 2015 agreement, despite Tehran keeping its commitments for a year before gradually rolling back in response to legislation passed by its parliament.
Iran has also been engaged in diplomatic efforts with European countries, specifically Britain, France, and Germany, to address concerns about its nuclear ambitions. However, Khamenei expressed skepticism about these negotiations’ intentions.
"Their negotiations are not aimed at solving problems, they aim at domination." – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
The supreme leader also rebuked the three European countries for asserting that Iran has not fulfilled its nuclear commitments under the JCPOA, a statement that underscores ongoing tensions. Meanwhile, Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, maintained that Tehran would not negotiate under the conditions of "maximum pressure" applied by the United States.
"We have heard of it [the letter] but we haven’t received anything." – Abbas Araghchi