Iran rejects Trump’s request for nuclear talks

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has ruled out any possibility of negotiating with the United States in his first public speech since President Donald Trump claimed to have sent him a letter regarding nuclear talks.

Khamenei also criticised France, Germany, and Britain for condemning Tehran’s non-compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, branding them shameless.

Speaking during a meeting with Iranian officials in Tehran on Saturday, he insisted that Iran would certainly not accept America’s demands.

“The insistence of some bullying governments on negotiations is not aimed at resolving issues but rather at asserting dominance and imposing their demands,” Khamenei said. “The Islamic Republic of Iran will certainly not accept their demands.”

He added, “Those three European countries—France, Germany, and Britain—are issuing statements, claiming that Iran has not fulfilled its nuclear commitments under the JCPOA! Someone should ask them: Have you fulfilled yours? You never did from the very beginning! Then you made another claim and broke that second promise as well. There should be a limit to shamelessness! How can someone fail to uphold their own commitments and then turn around and accuse the other side of non-compliance?”

Khamenei’s comments followed Trump’s revelation that he had sent a letter offering negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme while warning that military intervention remained an alternative.