Iran's Supreme Leader Doubles Down on Donald Trump

By Amira El-Fekki‎

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said there would be negotiations with President Donald Trump's United States and warned against any military attack.

"Negotiating with this US administration won't result in the sanctions being removed," Khamenei stated on Wednesday. "If the US and their agents make a wrong military move against Iran, they'll be the ones who will suffer the greatest loss," he added.

Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department for comment.

Why It Matters

Tensions between the United States and Tehran have escalated, fueled by concerns over Iran's nuclear program and the ongoing sanctions imposed by the U.S. With Iran resisting Washington's diplomatic overtures and accelerating its nuclear program, the prospects of a confrontation grow.

What To Know

Iran's comments come after President Trump sent him a letter expressing his desire to negotiate a new nuclear deal, he told Fox News Channel on Sunday.

Iran's Foreign Abbas Araghchi confirmed Wednesday having received Trump's letter.

However, Khamenei dismissed the offer, saying he had not personally seen or read the letter, during a speech he made Wednesday to university students in Tehran, which was followed by a series of statements on his official X account.

"Negotiating with this US administration won't result in the sanctions being removed. It will cause the knot of sanctions to become tighter and pressure to increase," Khamenei wrote.

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have been escalating after Trump imposed his "maximum pressure" campaign, seeking to bring Tehran into renegotiating the terms of its nuclear program. Trump has also spoken of a military option.

Iranian officials accused Trump of "bullying", saying Iran will respond firmly if the U.S. tries to impose demands on the Islamic Republic as it steps up pressure over its nuclear program.

"If the US and their agents make a wrong military move against Iran, they'll be the ones who will suffer the greatest loss," Khamenei stated.

How Close is Iran to Nuclear Weapons?

Tehran has long said that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has raised concerns over Iran's increased enrichment activities, warning that uranium purity levels are approaching the threshold for weapons capability.

During his first term, Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), under which Iran agreed to restrict its nuclear activities and permit international inspections, in exchange for the removal of severe economic sanctions.

Near Weapons-Grade Uranium

On Wednesday, the U.N. Security Council held a closed-door meeting to discuss Iran's increase in its stockpile of uranium near weapons-grade levels.

The U.S. accused Iran of defying the U.N. Security Council, violating IAEA safeguards, and ignoring international concerns and reiterated its commitment to President Trump's "maximum pressure. "President Trump has made clear that Iran's nuclear program poses a threat to international peace and security," a statement by the U.S. Mission to the U.N. read.

Iran's Ambassador to the U.N. rejected the claims, accusing the U.S. of "seeking to weaponize the Security Council as part of its strategy to intensify economic warfare against Iran," Tasnim News Agency reported.

What People Are Saying

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on X: "If we had wanted to build nuclear weapons, the US wouldn't have been able to stop us. The fact that we neither possess nor seek nuclear weapons is because we ourselves don't want to. The US threatens Iran with a military attack. Starting a war or inflicting a blow isn't something that can be done by one side without receiving a response. Iran is capable of carrying out a counterattack, and it will definitely inflict such a blow."

U.S. President Donald Trump: "I'm not sure that everybody agrees with me, but we can make a deal that would be just as good as if you won militarily. But the time is happening now. The time is coming up. Something's going to happen one way or the other. I hope that Iran -- and I have written him a letter saying, I hope you're going to negotiate, because, if we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing for them."

What Happens Next

Iran will hold trilateral nuclear talks with China and Russia in Beijing on March 14, days after rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump's offer for renewed negotiations.