Iran’s supreme leader warns against Trump negotiations

Iran’s supreme leader has reacted with scepticism to US President Donald Trump’s plan to hold bilateral talks over the country’s nuclear enrichment programme.

Speaking to air force officers in Tehran on Friday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that in light of Trump’s actions during his first presidential term, negotiations with Washington “are not intelligent, wise or honourable”.

The 85-year-old, who has been Iran’s most powerful figure for more than 35 years, added that “there should be no negotiations with such a government”.

During Trump’s first four years in office, his administration pulled out of a landmark nuclear deal with Iran. Under the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), strict limits were placed on Tehran’s nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

After the US reneged on the agreement in 2018, Iran started to bolster its nuclear capabilities once more. It now enriches uranium to 60% purity, meaning that it is one step away from developing weapons-grade levels of 90%.

Referencing Trump’s decision to withdraw from the JCPOA, Khamenei said on Friday: “The Americans did not uphold their end of the deal. The very person who is in office today tore up the agreement. He said he would, and he did.”

“This is an experience we must learn from. We negotiated, we gave concessions, we compromised — but we did not achieve the results we aimed for. And despite all its flaws, the other side ultimately violated and destroyed the agreement.”

The supreme leader’s comments come just a day after Iran’s reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian said he was open to dialogue with the West.

Iran continues to struggle economically under the weight of sanctions. Following Khamenei’s remarks, the Iranian rial slumped to a record low against the US dollar.

Earlier this week, Trump signed an executive order that reintroduced his policy of “maximum pressure” against Iran.

However, he indicated his hopes that the two countries might strike a deal.

“I’m going to sign it, but hopefully we’re not going to have to use it very much,” he said of the executive order on Tuesday. “We will see whether or not we can arrange or work out a deal with Iran.”

“We don’t want to be tough on Iran. We don’t want to be tough on anybody,” Trump added. “But they just can’t have a nuclear bomb.”

The US president then took to social media on Wednesday to say he “would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper.”