Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday dismissed US President Donald Trump’s offer for renewed talks and denied claims that the United States destroyed Iran’s nuclear program.
According to Iranian state media, Khamenei said Trump’s idea of negotiation was nothing more than “imposition and bullying.”
“Trump says he is a dealmaker, but if a deal comes with coercion and a predetermined outcome, it’s not a deal — it’s bullying,” Khamenei stated.
His comments come after five rounds of indirect nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, which ended following a 12-day air campaign in June when Israel and the US bombed Iranian nuclear sites.
Last week, Trump told Israel’s parliament that it would be “great” if the US could negotiate a peace deal with Iran, after a ceasefire was reached in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
Khamenei mocked Trump’s claim that US forces had destroyed Iran’s nuclear capabilities, saying, “The US president proudly says they bombed and destroyed Iran’s nuclear industry. Very well, keep dreaming!”
He added, “What does it have to do with America whether Iran has nuclear facilities or not? These interventions are inappropriate, wrong, and coercive.”
Western nations have long accused Iran of secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons through uranium enrichment. Tehran, however, insists its nuclear program is purely for civilian energy purposes, not for building bombs.
