Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday rejected an offer of renewed talks from U.S. President Donald Trump and denied assertions that the United States has destroyed Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
“Trump says he is a dealmaker, but if a deal is accompanied by coercion and its outcome is predetermined, it is not a deal but rather an imposition and bullying,” Khamenei said, according to state media.
Last week, Trump told the Israeli parliament that it would be positive if Washington could negotiate a “peace deal” with Tehran, following the start of a ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
Khamenei dismissed claims about U.S. attacks on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, saying, “The U.S. president proudly says they bombed and destroyed Iran’s nuclear industry. Very well, keep dreaming! What does it have to do with America whether Iran has nuclear facilities or not? These interventions are inappropriate, wrong and coercive.”
The remarks come after Tehran and Washington conducted five rounds of indirect nuclear negotiations, which ended amid a 12-day air campaign in June during which Israel and the U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear sites.
Western powers have accused Iran of covertly trying to develop a nuclear weapon through uranium enrichment, a charge Tehran denies. The Iranian government maintains that its nuclear program is solely for civilian energy purposes.
