Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has dismissed renewed calls for nuclear negotiations with the United States, describing them as attempts by “bully states” to assert dominance rather than resolve disputes.
The statement came after former U.S. President Donald Trump revealed in an interview with Fox News that he had written a letter to Khamenei, urging a return to the negotiation table. Trump suggested two options for dealing with Iran—through diplomacy or military action—but said he preferred a peaceful resolution.
“I said, ‘I hope you’re going to negotiate, because it’s going to be a lot better for Iran,’” Trump stated. “The alternative is we have to do something, because you can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.”
While it remains unclear whether Khamenei received Trump’s letter, his latest comments appeared to rebuff the offer without directly naming the former president.
“The insistence on the part of some bully states on negotiations is not to resolve issues, but to dominate and impose their own expectations,” Khamenei said during a meeting with Iran’s top government leaders in Tehran.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will definitely not accept their demands.”
This development signals continued tensions between Tehran and Washington, especially as Trump seeks a return to the presidency. His previous administration famously withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated under President Obama and later ordered the killing of top Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani—a move that deepened hostilities.
Trump has since revived his “maximum pressure” strategy, aimed at isolating Iran economically and diplomatically. Although he has expressed interest in a fresh nuclear agreement, Iranian leadership remains skeptical.
Just last month, Khamenei said engaging in talks with the United States would be “not smart,” emphasizing Iran’s long-standing stance that its nuclear ambitions are purely for peaceful purposes.
In a related diplomatic twist, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed this week that Russia has offered to help facilitate potential U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations during discussions with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia.