Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday forcefully rejected a central U.S. demand to halt uranium enrichment, vowing that Tehran would continue its nuclear program despite the risk of escalating tensions with Washington and its allies. Speaking in a televised address marking the anniversary of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's death, Khamenei declared, "The proposal that the Americans have presented is 100% against our interests."
Khamenei's comments come as negotiations drag on between Iran and the United States over a potential new nuclear agreement. The U.S. proposal, delivered to Tehran last weekend by Omani mediators, includes demands that Iran cease uranium enrichment and ship out its stockpile of highly enriched material-conditions Washington views as critical to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
"Uranium enrichment is the key to our nuclear programme and the enemies have focused on the enrichment," Khamenei said, reiterating that the country's nuclear ambitions were non-negotiable. "The rude and arrogant leaders of America repeatedly demand that we should not have a nuclear programme. Who are you to decide whether Iran should have enrichment?"
President Donald Trump's administration, now in its second term, has resumed its "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran. In January, Trump reimposed sweeping sanctions and warned that the U.S. would use military force if diplomacy failed. His envoy Steve Witkoff has insisted that any enrichment by Iran is a "red line" for the administration.
A leaked report from the International Atomic Energy Agency revealed that Iran has increased production of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium by 50% in the last quarter. While still short of the 90% enrichment level needed for atomic weapons, the increase places Iran far above the 4% required for civilian energy production.
Iranian officials have dismissed the IAEA's findings as "politically motivated," insisting that their nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes. Tehran has long denied Western accusations that it seeks to build nuclear weapons.
Khamenei denounced what he called Western attempts to undermine Iran's sovereignty, saying, "Some people think that rationality means bowing down to America and surrendering to the oppressive power; this is not rationality."
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also reiterated Tehran's commitment to its nuclear and scientific pursuits, while criticizing Western countries for destabilizing the region through their own weapons programs, according to Iranian state media.
The talks have reached an impasse after five rounds of indirect negotiations. An unnamed diplomat told Reuters earlier this week that Tehran was set to reject the latest U.S. offer, calling it a "non-starter" that failed to address Iran's core interests.
