Iran's top leader Khamenei rejects U.S. push for talks

TEHRAN,— Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has dismissed efforts by the United States to initiate talks, saying the goal is to impose limits on Iran’s missile program and regional influence.

Speaking to officials Saturday, Khamenei did not directly name the U.S. but described a “bullying government” pressing for negotiations.

Khamenei stated that the purpose of their talks is not to address or resolve problems. “It’s about sitting down to dictate terms to the other side.”

His comments came a day after former President Donald Trump confirmed he had sent a letter to Khamenei, proposing a new deal to curb Iran’s expanding nuclear program. The letter followed Trump’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement during his first term in office.

Khamenei asserted that Washington’s demands extend beyond Iran’s nuclear activities.

“They are trying to control our actions—deciding who we can meet, where we can go, and what we can make. They also want to restrict the range of our missiles,” he stated. “How can anyone accept such demands?”

As Iran’s highest authority, Khamenei holds the final word on all state affairs. He argued that such negotiations would do nothing to resolve issues between Tehran and the West but instead serve as a means to pressure Iran through public opinion.

“This is not negotiation—it’s an attempt at coercion,” he said.

Trump, speaking at the White House on Friday, did not explicitly mention the letter but hinted at possible military action.

“We are dealing with an issue regarding Iran, and something will happen very soon,” he told reporters.

Both the U.S. and Israel have repeatedly vowed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

The heightened tensions come as Tehran continues enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels—a threshold typically reached only by nuclear-armed states.

Iran maintains that its nuclear program is solely intended for peaceful purposes. However, as tensions mount over U.S. sanctions and Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, some Iranian officials have suggested reconsidering their stance on nuclear weapons.

Khamenei had previously signaled a willingness to engage with the U.S., saying in August that speaking with an adversary posed “no harm.” More recently, he has taken a harder stance, calling such negotiations unwise and dishonorable, particularly after Trump’s latest push for talks.

(With files from AP)