Iran’s highest authority has rejected Donald Trump’s threat of military action.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, stated on Saturday that Western powers are attempting to use discussions about Iran’s nuclear program to assert control. This statement follows President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the US might resort to force against Iran.
“Certain oppressive governments are pushing for negotiations. These negotiations are not intended to resolve issues but to impose their will and dominance,” Khamenei posted on X.
“Three European nations are issuing statements claiming Iran hasn’t met its JCPOA nuclear obligations! Someone should ask them if they have kept their promises!” he added.
During his presidency, Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 JCPOA accord and reinstated sanctions on Iran. In response, Tehran has reduced its adherence to the agreement.
In a Fox Business interview aired on Friday, Trump said that Iran could be dealt with in one of two ways: “militarily, or you make a deal.” He had previously stated that he sent Khamenei a letter offering to restart negotiations.
“I sent them a letter saying, ‘I hope you’re going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing,'” Trump told Fox.
Earlier this week, Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, reported that Iran has again increased its enriched uranium stockpile. On Wednesday, the UK, France, and Germany jointly called on Tehran to “halt and reverse its nuclear escalation” and return to full compliance with the JCPOA.
Tehran has maintained that the US and its European allies must first reverse the sanctions imposed under Trump. “Any claim about Iran’s fulfillment of its JCPOA commitments is fundamentally flawed when separated from the US withdrawal’s full context,” Amir-Saeid Iravani, Iran’s UN envoy, stated in December 2024. He emphasized that Iran would fully comply if the sanctions were removed.
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