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Iran’s top leader has downplayed US efforts to revive nuclear talks, dismissing President Donald Trump’s offer for talks as a “deceptive.”
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, Iran’s nuclear program has been a major problem for western countries, with the US and Israel vowing not to allow Tehran to obtain a nuclear weapon. Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has reimposed his “maximum pressure” strategy, warning that Iran is running out of time to negotiate a new deal before military action is taken. Reports suggest that the US and Israel are considering a joint military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, a move that Iran has vowed to retaliate against with force. While Iranian officials maintain their nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes, evidence—including uranium enrichment levels nearing weapons-grade purity and secret nuclear sites uncovered by the International Atomic Energy Agency—contradicts these claims, fueling concerns that Iran is inching closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon.
What’s going on now: While speaking to a group of Iranian students, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected President Donald Trump’s offer for nuclear negotiations, calling it a deceptive maneuver designed to mislead global opinion. He criticized Trump for previously withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal, stating, “We negotiated for years, reached a complete and signed agreement, and then this individual tore it up.”
Khamenei argued that engaging in talks with the US would only lead to more sanctions and pressure. He also dismissed Western concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, saying, “If we wanted to build nuclear weapons, the US would not be able to stop it. We ourselves do not want it.”
More on the letter: Trump’s letter to Iran, delivered to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi by UAE official Anwar Gargash, called on the Iranian government to return to the negotiating table before time runs out. The letter reportedly warned that Iran was approaching a critical moment, with the possibility of military action if it refused to engage.
This all comes as the United States has hit Iran with new sanctions targeting its oil sector, intensifying economic pressure on Tehran. The Treasury Department announced sanctions on Iranian oil minister Mohsen Paknejad and three Chinese entities involved in Iran’s oil trade. Additionally, three shipping vessels used in these transactions were designated as blocked property.
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce stated the sanctions aim to disrupt Iran’s “ghost fleet” of tankers used to evade trade restrictions, reinforcing Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign.
