Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has once again dismissed the possibility of holding negotiations with the United States on Tehran's nuclear programme. In a televised address, he accused Washington of consistently reneging on its commitments. "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," he said.
No direct talks with US
Earlier on Tuesday, Tehran reiterated its stand that it would not enter into direct talks with Washington over its nuclear activities. Khamenei described talks with the US as "a sheer dead end," even as Iranian diplomats engaged with European representatives on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Al Jazeera reported. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with diplomats from Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, along with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. Discussions largely revolved around sanctions that are scheduled to come back into effect in the coming days.
US and European stance
The deadlock on negotiations remains central to the dispute. During his UNGA address, US President Donald Trump had said Iran would "never possess a nuclear weapon" and branded the country as the "world's number one sponsor of terror." Responding to this, Khamenei remarked, "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 comments came shortly after the UN Security Council rejected a resolution related to sanctions relief for Iran. The European trio (E3) has accused Tehran of breaching its nuclear commitments by stockpiling uranium over 40 times the limit set by the 2015 nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The deal, originally signed between Iran and world powers including the US, had lifted sanctions in exchange for restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme.
JCPOA deadlock and sanctions pressure
In 2018, President Trump unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA and reimposed sanctions as part of his "maximum pressure" campaign, a policy that continued under the Biden administration despite earlier criticism. European nations have hinted they may extend the sanctions deadline if Iran agrees to direct talks with the US, allows UN nuclear inspectors access to its facilities, and provides details on more than 400 kg of highly enriched uranium under the watch of the International Atomic Energy Agency. However, the meeting on the sidelines of the UNGA made little headway. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul admitted that the talks "didn't go particularly well."
(With inputs from ANI)
