Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has rejected any future negotiations with the United States concerning its nuclear program, arguing that Washington has repeatedly broken its promises. “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,” Khamenei stated. The comments were broadcast on Iranian state television. The remarks followed a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and diplomats from Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, as well as the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas. The meeting addressed the reimposition of sanctions. Khamenei described talks with the US as ‘a sheer dead end’, even as diplomatic discussions proceeded during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). In his UNGA speech, US President Donald Trump stated that Iran would ‘never possess a nuclear weapon,’ labeling Tehran as the ‘world’s number one sponsor of terror.’ Khamenei stated, ‘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 statement came shortly after the UN Security Council rejected a resolution to extend sanctions relief for Iran. The E3 have accused Tehran of breaching its nuclear commitments, including exceeding the uranium stockpile limits set by the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), from which Trump withdrew in 2018. The JCPOA, originally signed by Iran and world powers including the US, eased sanctions in exchange for limits on Iran’s nuclear activities. However, Trump’s ‘maximum pressure’ policy reimposed sanctions in 2018, a policy maintained by the Biden administration. European nations may extend the sanctions deadline if Iran restarts direct talks with the US, allows UN nuclear inspectors access to its sites, and accounts for more than 400 kg of enriched uranium. The UNGA-side meeting saw little progress, with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul noting, “didn’t go particularly well.”
