Khamenei Warns Iran Against Negotiating with the US

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, cautioned the government on Friday against engaging in negotiations with the United States, calling such talks "unwise" and lacking honour.

"You should not negotiate with such a government," Khamenei stated, arguing that past experiences had shown the US to be unreliable. He pointed to Washington's withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement, saying the US had "ruined, violated, and tore up" the deal.

His remarks come just days after US President Donald Trump reiterated his stance that Iran must not develop nuclear weapons and called for a "verified nuclear peace agreement." Iran maintains that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.

During a meeting with military commanders, Khamenei dismissed the idea that negotiations with the U.S. would resolve Iran’s challenges. "We must understand this correctly: sitting at the negotiating table with them will not solve problems," he said, emphasizing that past experiences had proven this.

Trump, who returned to office on January 20, has reinstated his "maximum pressure" policy, reimposing harsh sanctions on Tehran over allegations of nuclear weapons ambitions. During his first term, Washington pulled out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a landmark agreement that had curbed Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Tehran initially complied but began rolling back its commitments after the US exit. Efforts to restore the deal have since stalled.

Khamenei noted that Iran made "generous concessions" in the 2015 agreement but did not see the intended benefits. He also accused the current US administration of violating the deal after coming to power.