Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has stated that the current situation with the United States is “unsolvable” and that Tehran will never submit to Washington’s pressure. These comments were reported by state media on Sunday, amidst a standoff with Western powers over Iran’s nuclear program. The Islamic Republic suspended nuclear negotiations with the U.S. after the U.S. and Israel bombed its nuclear sites during a 12-day war in June.
Khamenei’s remarks come after Iran and European powers agreed on Friday to resume talks aimed at restarting full negotiations on curbing Tehran’s nuclear enrichment work. “They want Iran to be obedient to America. The Iranian nation will stand with all of its power against those who have such erroneous expectations,” Khamenei was quoted as saying.
He added, “People who ask us not to issue slogans against the U.S. … to have direct negotiations with the U.S. only see appearances … This issue is unsolvable.” France, Britain, and Germany have said they could reactivate United Nations sanctions on Iran through a “snapback” mechanism if Tehran does not return to the negotiating table. The European states, along with the U.S., assert that Iran is working toward developing nuclear weapons, while Iran maintains that it is only interested in developing nuclear power.
