Iran has rejected a nuclear deal proposed by the United States, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowing to continue uranium enrichment. The decision, announced Wednesday, comes after five rounds of seemingly stalled negotiations and casts further doubt on the prospect of a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing nuclear standoff.
According to Reuters, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a Wednesday speech, outright dismissed a U.S. offer that would have compelled Iran to cease uranium enrichment on its soil and surrender its existing stockpiles of weapons-grade uranium.
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This rejection directly contradicts recent reports suggesting the U.S. might permit Iran to enrich civilian-grade uranium. President Donald Trump, in a Monday Truth Social post, definitively stated that his administration “WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM” in any future agreement.
“Uranium enrichment is the key to our nuclear program and the enemies have focused on the enrichment,” Khamenei asserted, as reported by Reuters. He further criticized the U.S. proposal, stating, “The proposal that the Americans have presented is 100% against our interests… The rude and arrogant leaders of America repeatedly demand that we should not have a nuclear program. Who are you to decide whether Iran should have enrichment?”
The rejection comes as concerns mount over Iran’s nuclear capabilities. A confidential IAEA report, viewed by Reuters on Saturday, revealed that Iran’s stockpile of 60% weapons-ready uranium has swelled to 408.6 kg. The IAEA also indicated in February that Iran could potentially produce a nuclear weapon in approximately three weeks given its current enriched uranium stockpiles.
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The U.S. State Department, in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation, reiterated its firm stance. “Senior Advisor and Special Envoy Witkoff sent a detailed and acceptable proposal to the Iranian regime, and it’s in their best interest to accept it,” a spokesperson said. “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. The President also clearly said that he will not allow any uranium enrichment. Beyond that, it is not in our national interest to negotiate these issues publicly.”
President Trump, who pursued a “maximum pressure” strategy against Iran during his first term by instituting economic sanctions, has maintained a tough line on Iranian nuclear aspirations. While his administration has worked towards a mutually agreeable deal in his second term, Trump has also cautioned that more aggressive measures could follow if Iran fails to make swift progress toward an agreement.
This approach marks a departure from the previous administration. Under former President Joe Biden, Iran was effectively allowed to enrich uranium, partly due to perceived lax enforcement of sanctions on its energy sector. Trump notably withdrew from the Obama administration’s Iran nuclear deal in his first term, deeming it too lenient.
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On Wednesday, President Trump confirmed that he had informed Russian President Vladimir Putin that “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” a point on which he believes they were in agreement. Putin reportedly offered to “participate in the discussions with Iran” and “be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion.”
Trump expressed his opinion that “Iran has been slowwalking their decision” on nuclear weapons, underscoring the urgent need for a “definitive answer in a very short period of time!” The latest rejection from Tehran suggests that such an answer remains elusive, leaving the future of Iran’s nuclear program and regional stability in a precarious state.
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