Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hamaney responded to a letter from US President Donald Trump proposing nuclear negotiations. Hamaney announced they will not accept Washington’s demands, stating that “the insistence of some bullies on negotiation is not to resolve the issue but to establish dominance.”

Speaking at an iftar program in Tehran attended by former and current high-ranking civilian and military officials, Hamaney addressed Trump’s call for negotiations with Iran. He stated that “the insistence of some oppressive governments on negotiations is not to resolve the issue but to establish dominance. They say, ‘Let’s dictate our demands under the name of negotiation to the other party; if they accept it, good, but if they don’t, we say we walked away from the negotiation table.'” Hamaney mentioned that Washington wants to impose new demands through negotiations, focusing not only on nuclear issues but also on Iran’s defense and international capabilities. He emphasized that these new demands will not be accepted by Iran. He criticized these demands as a means of putting pressure on the people, characterizing it as domination, not negotiations.

Pointing to the European parties Germany, France, and the UK’s remarks against Iran in relation to the nuclear issue in the agreement, Hamaney questioned their fulfillment of obligations under the deal. He remarked that since the US withdrew, they promised to make up for it but did not keep their word. Hamaney stated, “There is a limit to shamelessness,” adding that the government waited a year and then passed a law in Parliament as there was no other recourse, indicating that there is no other way against the same oppression.

TRUMP’S NUCLEAR NEGOTIATION LETTER
Trump revealed in an interview with Fox Business Network that he had sent a letter to Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Hamaney. He said, “I wrote them a letter saying, ‘I hope you negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a horrible thing.'” Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York responded to queries regarding Trump’s statement about sending a letter to Hamaney by stating, “So far, we have not received such a letter.” A US official later informed the country’s media, “Trump wrote the letter but has not sent it yet.” Hamaney, labeling the Trump administration as “unreliable” and threatening Iran, had banned negotiations. Iranian top officials, including President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi, have repeatedly stated that they will not negotiate under US pressure and threats. Arakchi, most recently in an interview during an Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Jeddah, stated, “As long as the US continues its maximum pressure policy and threats, we will not engage in direct negotiations with the US.”