Iran’s Supreme Leader Resists US Pressure
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the United States of demanding Tehran’s “obedience,” saying it was a serious insult to the Iranian people. Addressing a religious ceremony on Sunday, he said Iranians would oppose such demands “with all of their power.
Khamenei brushed aside demands for direct negotiations with Washington, insisting those who push for negotiations “only see appearances” and do not understand the depth of the gap. “This matter is irresolvable,” he stated, indicating further resistance to US advances against a tense nuclear stalemate.
Nuclear Talks Back in Spotlight
His comments were only two days after Iran and European powers agreed to resume talks for reviving full negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program. France, Britain, and Germany cautioned Friday that they will activate a UN sanctions “snapback” if Iran doesn’t go back to the negotiating table. Resumption of talks is anticipated to be on Tuesday.
Tensions climbed in June when Iran suspended nuclear talks with Washington following US and Israeli attacks on its nuclear plants during a 12-day war. That escalation sidetracked the sixth round of scheduled talks and has left diplomacy stalled ever since.
Western governments charge Iran with pursuing nuclear weapons capability, while Tehran maintains its program is solely for civilian use. The dispute remains a source of distrust, each accusing the other of the collapse in diplomacy.
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A History of Distrust
The context for today’s standoff is deep. Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement with global powers had offered sanctions relief in return for rolling back enrichment, but US President Donald Trump pulled out in 2018 and reimposed crushing sanctions under a “maximum pressure” policy. Israel, America’s closest Middle Eastern ally, has never been a supporter of the deal, saying it empowers Tehran.
Khamenei on Sunday also blamed “the agents of America and the Zionist regime” for attempting to create discord within Iran. He called on people to be united, saying that disunity would only benefit the interests of adversarial powers.
Relations with Tehran remain locked in the ice since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution deposed of the Western-backed Shah. Decades on, that suspicion remains the hallmark of the tenuous and explosive relationship, with both sides suspicious of compromise even as tensions risk boiling over for a second time.
