Iran's Supreme Leader has firmly rejected a renewed offer for nuclear talks from US President Donald Trump, denouncing the American approach as coercive and dismissing claims that US airstrikes have destroyed Iran's nuclear capabilities. The dismissal underscores Tehran's position that it will not negotiate under what it considers to be external pressure and predetermined outcomes.
In a definitive statement, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded to President Trump's recent offer for dialogue, framing it as an ultimatum rather than a genuine negotiation. "Trump says he is a dealmaker, but if a deal is accompanied by coercion and its outcome is predetermined, it is not a deal but rather an imposition and bullying," Khamenei stated. He further questioned the US's right to intervene, asking, "What does it have to do with America whether Iran has nuclear facilities or not? These interventions are inappropriate, wrong and coercive". This stance is consistent with his previous declarations that talks with the US represent a "sheer dead end" and an attempted "diktat".
The Supreme Leader also directly countered President Trump's assertion that the United States had successfully destroyed Iran's nuclear infrastructure. "The US president proudly says they bombed and destroyed Iran's nuclear industry. Very well, keep dreaming!" Khamenei said. He emphasized that the scientific and technical knowledge behind Iran's nuclear program cannot be erased by military strikes, asserting, "Science will not be demolished by threats and bombing". This response follows a 12-day air war in June during which Israeli and US forces bombed Iranian nuclear sites, effectively ending a series of five indirect nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
The context for this latest diplomatic exchange is the recent expiration of the JCPOA. Iran's foreign ministry declared that as of October 18, 2025, "all of the provisions... including the restrictions on the Iranian nuclear program and the related mechanisms are considered terminated". The deal had been effectively moot since the US unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018 under President Trump and subsequently reimposed sanctions, a move that prompted Iran to later pull back from its own commitments. The reimposition of widespread UN sanctions in September 2025 at the urging of European powers further cemented the deal's collapse. Iran has placed blame for the failure of recent diplomatic efforts on the "irresponsible actions" of the three European countries.