Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused Western nations of using negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme as a means to assert dominance.
His remarks came in response to US President Donald Trump’s recent suggestion that Washington may have to resort to military action against Tehran.
"Some coercive governments insist on negotiations. Such negotiations aren’t aimed at solving issues. Their aim is to exert their dominance and impose what they want," Khamenei wrote on his English-language account on X.
Criticising European nations over their stance on the nuclear issue, he added, "Three European countries issue statements claiming that Iran hasn’t fulfilled its nuclear commitments under the JCPOA! Someone from this side should ask them, Have you fulfilled yours?!"
In 2018, during his first term as president, Trump withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and reinstated sanctions on Tehran. In response, Iran gradually reduced its compliance with the agreement.
During an interview aired on Friday, Trump outlined his approach to dealing with Iran.
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"There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal," he said, adding that he had sent a letter to Khamenei proposing renewed negotiations.
"I’ve written them a letter saying, ‘I hope you’re going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing,’" Trump stated.
Meanwhile, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Mariano Grossi confirmed this week that Iran has once again increased its stockpile of enriched uranium.
On Wednesday, the UK, France, and Germany issued a joint statement urging Iran to "halt and reverse its nuclear escalation" and to return to full compliance with the JCPOA.
Iran’s envoy to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, had earlier dismissed such calls, arguing in December 2024 that "any allegation regarding Iran’s implementation of its JCPOA commitments is fundamentally flawed when divorced from the full context of the US withdrawal."
He reiterated that Iran would only resume full compliance if sanctions were lifted.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry has consistently maintained that the country does not feel pressured by external forces and will act as a sovereign nation.
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