Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Wednesday reaffirmed that uranium enrichment remains a central and non-negotiable component of Iran’s nuclear program, rejecting a US proposal for a possible nuclear deal and dampening hopes for a quick compromise.
"The rude and arrogant leaders of America repeatedly demand that we should not have a nuclear program. Who are you to decide whether Iran should have an enrichment?," Khamenei said during a televised speech.
“The US nuclear proposal contradicts our nation's belief in self-reliance and the principle of 'We Can',” he added, referring to a core slogan of the Islamic Republic's founder Rouhollah Khomeini.
Speaking at Khomeini’s mausoleum in southern Tehran, Khamenei added, “The first word of the US is that Iran should not have a nuclear industry and should rely on the United States.
“Our response to the US nonsense is clear: they cannot do a damn thing in this matter.”
The phrase echoed another famous slogan by Khomeini, "America can't do a damn thing against us," during the Iran hostage crisis shortly after the Islamic Revolution, which marked a nadir in US-Iran relations.
The US proposal for a new nuclear deal was presented to Iran on Saturday by Oman, which is mediating talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.
After five rounds of talks, several issues remain, including Iran's insistence on maintaining uranium enrichment on its soil and Tehran's refusal to ship abroad its entire existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium -- possible raw material for nuclear bombs.
Trump has revived his so-called maximum pressure campaign against Tehran since his return to the White House in January, which included tightening sanctions. He also threatened to bomb Iran if the negotiations yield no deal.
During his first term in 2018, Trump pulled out of Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with six world powers and reimposed sanctions that have damaged Iran's economy significantly. Iran responded by escalating enrichment far beyond the pact's limits.
Khamenei emphasized that Iran would not abandon its enrichment work, despite Western pressure.
“Uranium enrichment is the backbone of our nuclear program,” he said. “They want to dismantle our nuclear program and weaken our national power. But the US will not be able to weaken our nuclear program."
Collapse of 2010 nuclear fuel deal
Khamenei added that the United States cannot be trusted to supply Iran with the nuclear fuel it needs for its fuel cycle, citing past instances of US and European unreliability in previous nuclear agreements.
“In the 2010s, we experienced the unreliability of the Americans — they broke their promise and did not provide 20% enriched fuel,” Khamenei said.
Khamenei was referring to a 2010 fuel swap agreement brokered by Turkey and Brazil, under which Iran was to exchange 1,200 kilograms of low-enriched uranium for 120 kilograms of fuel for its Tehran Research Reactor. Although based on a proposal from the US and its partners, the deal collapsed amid international mistrust and subsequent sanctions.
“Why are you interfering?” Khamenei said, addressing Washington. “Whether Iran enriches uranium or not — what does it have to do with you? Who are you?”
He defended Iran’s pursuit of a complete nuclear fuel cycle, saying that the country is among perhaps only ten in the world capable of achieving it. He emphasized that the nuclear industry serves broader scientific purposes beyond energy, describing it as a “parent industry.”
Tehran says it wants nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon state enriching uranium to 60% U-235.
The IAEA has consistently maintained that there is no credible civilian use for uranium enriched to this level, which is a short technical step from weapons-grade 90% fissile material.
Senior officials double down on Khamenei's remarks
Hours after Khamenei’s speech, Iran’s foreign minister and nuclear chief reinforced the message, saying Iran will not bow to foreign pressure and will protect its nuclear gains.
“There is no scenario in which we will give up on the patriots who made our dream come true,” said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on X. “No enrichment, no deal. No nuclear weapons, we have a deal.”
Echoing the stance, Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami vowed to continue expanding Iran’s atomic program with “faith, revolutionary spirit, and heartfelt conviction.”
In a statement addressed to Khamenei, Eslami said, “Iran would stand against the excessive demands of the United States and other hegemonic powers.”
Iran open to regional consortium as hopes for deal narrow
On Tuesday, Axios cited a senior Iranian official as saying that Tehran is open to a nuclear agreement based on the idea of a regional uranium enrichment consortium, provided it is based in Iran.
CNN on Monday also reported that the next round of nuclear talks is “very uncertain and may not happen at all,” citing sources familiar with the negotiations. Reuters reported that Tehran was drafting a negative response to the US proposal.
According to the New York Times on Tuesday, the US has proposed allowing Iran to continue uranium enrichment at reduced levels, with the expectation that enrichment would fully stop once the regional consortium becomes operational.
The consortium would include countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and the US would help facilitate the construction of its nuclear facilities.
Citing Iranian and European officials, it added that while the idea signals a possible path toward resolving the long-running dispute, the details remain vague.
Two Iranian officials quoted by the newspaper said that while Iran is open to the consortium concept, they insist it must be located on Iranian territory -- possibly on Kish or Qeshm islands in the Persian Gulf.
