Iran's Khamenei rejects nuclear talks with US, calling Washington "bully"

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has dismissed the prospect of negotiations with the United States, accusing Washington of making demands rather than engaging in genuine dialogue. 

His remarks follow U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim earlier this week that he had sent a letter to Iranian leaders seeking talks on a nuclear deal, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media sources.

Khamenei’s comments on March 8 came after Trump, in an interview with Fox Business, outlined two options for dealing with Iran: “militarily, or you make a deal” to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. On March 8, Iranian officials reiterated that they had not received any such letter.

Addressing senior Iranian officials, Khamenei dismissed the notion of negotiations, arguing that Washington aims to impose further restrictions rather than resolve issues.

“Some bully governments insist on negotiations,” he said, according to state media. “But their negotiations are not aimed at solving issues, but to dominate and impose their own expectations.”

“For them, negotiation is a means to introduce new demands. The issue is not just about nuclear matters, they raise new expectations that Iran will certainly not accept,” he added.

“They demand restrictions on the country’s defensive capabilities and international influence, saying: ‘don’t do this, don’t meet that person, don’t produce that item’ or ‘your missile range should not exceed a certain limit,’” he said.

In response, White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes reaffirmed the stance Trump had conveyed to Iran, reiterating the binary choice between negotiations or military action.

"We hope the Iran Regime puts its people and best interests ahead of terror," Hughes said in a statement.

Since beginning his second term in January, Trump has signaled openness to a new deal with Tehran while simultaneously reinstating an aggressive sanctions campaign, including efforts to drive Iran’s oil exports to zero.

Trump first launched the so-called “maximum pressure” campaign in 2018 after withdrawing the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers. The deal had placed strict limits on Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

Following the U.S. withdrawal, Iran has significantly exceeded the deal’s nuclear restrictions. Efforts by President Joe Biden’s administration and European leaders to revive the agreement ultimately failed.

By Khagan Isayev