(Forelines) – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, rejected a key American demand in negotiations to end a decades-long conflict over Tehran’s nuclear aspirations on Wednesday, saying that ending uranium enrichment was “100%” opposed the interests of the Iran, according to Reuters report.
Oman, which has facilitated mediations between Abbas Araqchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister and Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, sent the United States proposal for a new nuclear deal to Tehran on Saturday, as per the report.
As per Reuters, Iran’s insistence on keeping uranium enrichment on its territory and Tehran’s refusal to export its full stockpile of highly enriched uranium—a potential raw material for nuclear bombs—are two difficult-to-bridge problems that still exist following five rounds of mediations.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last word on all state affairs, stated that the United States plan “contradicts our nation’s conviction in self-reliance and the idea of ‘We Can'” but made no mention of stopping the mediations.
“Uranium enrichment is the key to our nuclear program and the adversaries have focused on the enrichment,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated in a televised speech marking the anniversary of the death of the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, quoted by Reuters.
“The American proposition is completely contrary to our interests… America’s haughty and conceited officials keep saying that we should not have a nuclear program. “Who are you to judge if enrichment is appropriate for Iran?” Khamenei further stated, as per Reuters report.
According to Reuters,Tehran has consistently dismissed Western nations’ claims that it is attempting to create nuclear weapons, stating that its goal is to master nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.