Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described U.S. demands that Tehran refrain from enriching uranium as “excessive and outrageous,” according to state media. He also expressed doubts about whether nuclear talks would lead to an agreement.
“I don’t think nuclear talks with the U.S. will bring results. I don’t know what will happen,” Khamenei said, adding that Washington should refrain from making outrageous demands in the negotiations.
Despite expectations of a fifth round of negotiations potentially taking place over the weekend in Rome, nuclear talks are on shaky ground as Iran and the U.S. have clashed on the issue of nuclear enrichment.
Read more: Malnutrition Crisis Grips Gaza as Blockade Undermines Population’s Health
Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi stated on Monday that talks would fail if Washington insists that Tehran refrains from domestic enrichment of uranium, which the U.S. says is a possible pathway to developing nuclear bombs.
Tehran maintains that its nuclear energy program is entirely for peaceful purposes.
Earlier on Tuesday, another Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said Tehran had received and was reviewing a proposal from the United States. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump said Tehran needed to “move quickly or something bad is going to happen.”
The U.S. president has repeatedly warned Iran it would be bombed and face severe sanctions if it did not reach a compromise to resolve its disputed nuclear program.
During his first term (2017-21), Trump withdrew the United States from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran’s enrichment activities in exchange for relief from international sanctions.
Trump, who branded the 2015 accord one-sided in Iran’s favor, also reimposed sweeping U.S. sanctions on Iran. The Islamic Republic responded by escalating enrichment.
