Leader rules out talks with US as ‘not smart, wise, or honorable’
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said that talks with the United States would not solve the country’s problems, stressing that such negotiations are “not smart, wise, or honorable.”
Over the past months, there have been speculations over the resumption of talks between Iran and the US on Tehran’s nuclear program after the new Iranian government took office last July and US President Donald Trump started a second term in the White House last month.
Ayatollah Khamenei made the statement in a meeting with Iran’s Air Force personnel on Friday, which was held on the occasion of the 46th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution.
His remarks came after Trump said this week that he would “love to make a deal” with Iran over its nuclear program while he reimposed his maximum pressure policy against Tehran.
Trump said he would like to start working on a “verified nuclear peace agreement” with the Islamic Republic.
During his first term in office in 2018, the US president pulled his country out of Tehran’s 2015 nuclear pact with world powers and illegally reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran.
“Negotiating with America is neither smart, wise, or honorable. It will not solve any of our problems. The reason? Experience!” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
Iran reached an agreement with the US and other countries after two years of talks, he said, but the Americans did not adhere to it despite Iran’s many concessions. “The person in charge tore it up,” said Khamenei, referring to Trump.
Before Trump, even the US administration which had accepted the agreement, did not comply with it, the Leader said, referring to the government of president Barack Obama which had signed it.
Ayatollah Khamenei also warned that the country would reciprocate if the US threatened or carried out actions against Iran.
“If they threaten us, we will threaten them. If they carry out this threat, we will carry out our threat. If they attack the security of our nation, we will attack their security without hesitation,” the Leader said.
In 2015, Iran and world powers inked the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that saw the easing of international sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.
But the US unilaterally withdrew from the landmark accord in 2018 and reimposed economic sanctions.
Tehran adhered to the deal until Washington’s withdrawal, and then began rolling back on its commitments after the parties to the deal failed to fulfil their commitments under the agreement.
However, Iran’s new administration has repeatedly said that the government is ready for negotiations on an equal footing to resolve tensions over Iran’s nuclear program.