Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected direct negotiations with the United States in his first public address since the '12-day war' with Israel.
On the 24th (local time), Khamenei noted, "The person currently exercising authority in the United States has revealed a fundamental hostility towards Iran," adding, "They want the Iranian people and the Islamic Republic to surrender." He did not directly mention the name of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Khamenei criticized Iranian politicians who advocate for direct negotiations with the United States as 'shallow,' while asserting, "The Iranian people will stand against the demands of the United States," and emphasized, "The issues with the United States are impossible to resolve."
Since the conflict with Israel, Khamenei has only issued a short video message and has participated solely in religious events, showing limited activity. However, as reformists within Iran have increasingly called for the rerouting of diplomatic relations with the United States, his public refusal of negotiations is interpreted as a counter to these calls.
Iran has consistently maintained that it cannot abandon uranium enrichment. On the 20th, Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister, responded to the possibility of resuming nuclear negotiations with the United States by saying, "We are not yet in a condition to conduct effective negotiations," and added, "The United States has not reached a stage where it can negotiate on equal terms."
Minister Araghchi also said, "We have decided to remain in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) at this point," but noted, "If the regime decides to withdraw from the NPT someday, the cessation of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will also be unavoidable."