Iran International
Tehran’s response to Washington’s proposal to halt uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief has been marked by deep distrust and combative rhetoric—but not a complete break from diplomacy.
The proposal has yet to be revealed officially, but it is said to include a halt-for-sanctions-relief clause and an enrichment consortium involving the United States and some of Iran’s Arab neighbors.
“Why do you interfere in whether Iran enriches uranium or not—what business is it of yours?” Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday, dismissing US objections to domestic enrichment by Iran.
Khamenei delivered one of his harshest speeches in recent memory, denouncing the proposal and pouring cold water on hopes of an immediate resolution to the nuclear standoff.
Minutes later, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated that no deal excluding enrichment would be accepted, and Nuclear Chief Mohammad Eslami declared that Iran’s program would continue “with full force.”
Strategic ambiguity
Despite the sharpness of his remarks, Khamenei stopped short of ending negotiations—a nuance not lost on Iranian analysts, many of whom saw room for continued backchannel diplomacy.
His tone of suspicion echoed deeper cultural themes. Some commentators likened it to the writings of novelist Sadeq Hedayat, whose characters in Alaviyeh Khanom and Haji Aghaview the world as a web of deception and distrust, responding with preemptive cynicism.
Even before Khamenei’s speech, Iranian outlets had rallied against any framework that excluded enrichment. The official news agency IRNA published two sharply worded pieces on Tuesday.
One called Washington’s position “a gamble doomed to fail,” while the other warned the talks were headed for deadlock unless Tehran’s right to enrich was preserved.
State broadcaster IRIB maintained its usual pessimism.
In a symbolic moment following Khamenei’s address, it abruptly cut a weather update to broadcast a Moscow street interview, where Russian citizens praised Iran’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and his prophecy of communism’s fall—blending nostalgia with present-day complexity.
Press looking ahead
Wednesday marked the anniversary of Khomeini’s death in 1989, a national holiday with no newspapers in circulation. Even online publications were dominated by reverential pieces about the former Supreme Leader.
But Tuesday’s press and foreign-based Persian outlets struck a more somber tone. The reformist site Rouydad24 warned that what it called the achievements of five rounds of talks remained fragile, and that issues like zero enrichment could trigger collapse.
Though few in Iran or abroad believe war is imminent, some exiled Iranian analysts suggested the impasse could embolden Israel, long bent on dismantling Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Meanwhile, U.S. media reported that a new round of indirect talks—possibly in Oman—could take place as early as next week.
"The Tehran reactor we use was built by the Americans. In Canada and the United States, reactors operate with 90% enriched fuel," Mohammad Eslami said on Iranian state television. "So the percentage of enrichment has no particular significance."
The nuclear chief also stressed that 20% enrichment is necessary for research reactors. "Without the capability to design and manufacture reactors and complete the fuel cycle, one cannot claim to be nuclear-capable — and we are now at that level," he said.
Eslami emphasized that Iran’s nuclear development is rooted in national capability. "We have now reached full maturity in the nuclear fuel cycle, which is the foundation of the nuclear industry," he said.
"The West cannot tolerate this and continues to escalate its hostility toward us in every possible way."
He accused the United States and its allies of trying to maintain monopolistic control over nuclear technology. "They have always said Iran should have no domestic reactor and must import fuel indefinitely," Eslami said. "Our response has always been clear: we will not accept such dependency."
He said the West’s portrayal of Iran’s nuclear intentions was misleading. "They do not want development unless it’s under their flag," he said. "But all our progress has been achieved by our own youth."
On Wednesday, Eslami vowed to continue advancing the country’s nuclear program with “faith, revolutionary spirit, and heartfelt conviction,” asserting that Iran will resist excessive demands from the United States and other global powers in a statement addressed to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Diplomatic talks mediated by Oman between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff have stalled over Iran’s insistence on maintaining enrichment activities inside the country.
US and Iran want an agreement, UN nuclear watchdog says
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi, speaking in Damascus, said that the agency is not party to the negotiations but remains in close contact with both sides.
"They are negotiating, not us, but it is obvious that the IAEA will have to be the guarantor of whichever agreement they come to," he said.
Grossi expressed cautious optimism. "I think they both want an agreement, which doesn’t mean that it’s easy to get," he said. "But having two sides that want a deal is already a big advantage."
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump urged Tehran to respond swiftly to American demands. "Time is running out on Iran’s decision pertaining to nuclear weapons, which must be made quickly!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. He also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had offered to mediate.
In March, Trump warned that if a deal was not agreed upon within two months, the US would bomb Tehran, though he did not state a deadline.
Iran has consistently said that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. However, Western powers have accused Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons capabilities—allegations Iran denies.
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.
"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.