Referring to negotiations held during the tenure of the late President Ebrahim Raisi (1960–2024), Khamenei remarked, “During his [Raisi’s] time, indirect negotiations were conducted like the ongoing ones, but they did not reach a conclusion.”
“We do not think they will reach a conclusion now; we do not know what will happen,” the Iranian supreme leader added.
The indirect, Oman-mediated talks between Iran and the US resumed on April 12.
The fourth and most recent round was held on May 12, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi describing the session as “significantly more serious” than previous ones. He further anticipated a fifth round to be held in the week that followed, but it appears to have been delayed.
Days later, Ali Shamkhani, a top advisor to Khamenei, on Thursday expressed Iran’s willingness to give up weapon-grade uranium for sanctions relief. He was quoted by NBC as stating that Iran is “ready to get rid of its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium which can be weaponized,” and “enrich uranium only to the lower levels needed for civilian use and allow international inspectors to supervise the process.”
Notably, Shamkhani’s comments were then reshared by US President Donald Trump on his social media platform, Truth Social. Hours ahead, Trump had stated that the US was inching closer to securing a nuclear deal with Iran.
"We're in very serious negotiations with Iran for long-term peace," Trump said, adding, “We're getting close to maybe doing a deal without having to do this.”
However on the same day, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News that Iran is "too close for comfort" to acquiring nuclear weapons. He underscored heightened concerns over Tehran's uranium enrichment and missile capabilities.
Rubio’s concerns were echoed by US special envoy Steve Witkoff who on Sunday insisted that any agreement must include a total restriction on uranium enrichment.
"We have one very, very clear red line, and that is enrichment. We cannot allow even 1 percent of an enrichment capability," Witkoff told ABC, adding that “enrichment enables weaponization and we will not allow a bomb to get here.”
Of note, Witkoff currently leads the US nuclear negotiation team, while the Iranian Foreign Minister, Araghchi, heads the Iranian delegation.
In a swift response to Witkoff’s remarks, Araghchi stated, “Unrealistic expectations stop negotiations. Enrichment in Iran is not something that can be stopped,” according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.
For his part, Khamenei on Tuesday reiterated this sentiment, remarking, “The Americans’ statement that they will not allow Iran to enrich uranium is a big mistake, and no one in the country is waiting for permission to do so.”
“The Islamic Republic will continue to pursue its same policy,” he affirmed.
Following Khamenei’s comments, Araghchi emphasized that the issue of uranium enrichment remains “non-negotiable.”
“I have given a clear answer in the past few days, and today the Supreme Leader made the task completely clear,” he said, adding that “a date has been proposed for the fifth round of negotiations” with the US, “but we have not yet accepted it.”
Araghchi maintained that Iran remains firm in its commitment to diplomatic engagement while also vowing not to compromise “the nation's fundamental rights.”
The revived talks mark the most substantial engagement between the two sides since the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal, under which Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
In 2018, during his first term in office, Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the agreement and reimposed sweeping sanctions on Tehran.
In response, Iran gradually scaled back its compliance with the deal, while insisting that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes and that pursuing nuclear weapons contradicts the principles of the Islamic Republic.
Nevertheless, a December 2023 report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) signaled grave concerns about Iran's nuclear activities, particularly its stepped-up uranium enrichment.
The report, along with follow-ups in early 2024, highlighted that Iran had “significantly increased production and accumulation of high enriched uranium,” especially at the Fordow facility. The level of enrichment is seen as alarming because, as the IAEA implicitly notes, enriching from 60 to 90 percent - the purity typically considered for a nuclear weapon - is a relatively short technical step.
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