Khamenei Rejects U.S. Nuclear Proposal, Citing National Interests and Revolutionary Ideals
“To the American side and others, we say: Why are you interfering and trying to say whether Iran should have uranium enrichment or not? That’s none of your business.”
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday dismissed a U.S. proposal for a nuclear agreement, saying it contradicts Iran’s national interests and the principles of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, according to AFP. “Independence means not waiting for the green light from America and the likes of America,” he declared, insisting Tehran will not seek Washington’s approval for its decisions.
According to the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Khamenei made the remarks during a ceremony marking the 36th anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic. The ceremony, held in Tehran, served as both a tribute to Khomeini’s legacy and a platform for reaffirming Iran’s ideological stance.
Khamenei sharply criticized the U.S. proposal, calling it “100 percent against” the ideals of the revolution. He emphasized that few had believed the Islamic Revolution would succeed in ousting American and Zionist influence from Iran, given their long-standing control over the country before 1979.
“If a government had compromised with the West,” he said, “foreign powers might have regained influence and pursued their interests in Iran.” In contrast, Imam Khomeini’s refusal to yield ensured Iran’s sovereignty and ideological independence, Khamenei asserted.
The Supreme Leader also claimed Iran has resisted and overcome more than a thousand externally orchestrated plots over the years. He praised the Iranian people’s resilience in confronting efforts to undermine the country’s governance and revolutionary principles.
On his official X account, Khamenei echoed and expanded on these views, posting a series of statements defending Iran’s right to develop nuclear technology and condemning U.S. interference.
“To the American side and others we say: Why are you interfering and trying to say whether Iran should have uranium enrichment or not? That’s none of your business.”
“The hands of the #US are stained with the appalling crimes in Gaza. This is exactly why we insist that the US must leave the region of West Asia.”
“You Americans possess atomic bombs and have the massive destruction of the world at your disposal. What business is it of yours whether the Iranian nation should or shouldn’t have uranium enrichment or whether it should or shouldn’t have a nuclear industry?”
“In the current nuclear talks that are being mediated by Oman, the US’s proposal is 100% against the spirit of ‘We can.’ What the US is demanding is that you should have no nuclear industry at all and be dependent on them.”
“A few years ago, one of the US presidents said he would dismantle the nuts & bolts of Iran’s nuclear industry if he could. Of course, he admitted that he couldn’t. Those in power today – the Zionists and the Americans – should know that they can’t do a damn thing in this area.”
“Thousands of nuclear scientists & researchers have been trained in Iran. Should we disappoint them, make them unemployed, & take away their hope in our country's future? The rude, insolent US leaders want this. They're opposed to progress & self-sufficiency for the Iranian ppl.”
“The US’s main demand is that they don’t want Iran to even have a nuclear industry. They want you to be reliant on them for radiopharmaceuticals, energy, desalination equipment, and in tens of other critical sectors.”
“Enemies have concentrated their efforts on our uranium enrichment. A nuclear industry without enrichment capabilities is useless, because we would then be dependent on others to obtain fuel for our power plants.”
“There is one point that is a key element in the nuclear industry, and that is uranium enrichment. Our enemies have focused all their attention on this very process of uranium enrichment.”
“The number of countries in the world that have achieved a complete nuclear fuel cycle is perhaps fewer than the number of fingers on a person’s two hands. The Iranian youth and scientists have achieved this. Thanks to the intelligence of our youth and the dedication of our scientists, Iran has succeeded in achieving a complete nuclear fuel cycle. So today, we're capable of producing nuclear fuel starting from the mine and all the way to the power plant.”
Khamenei’s comments come amid a renewed standoff between Tehran and Washington over Iran’s escalating nuclear activities, which have raised growing international concern. In a recent effort to defuse tensions and prevent further nuclear proliferation, the United States submitted a pragmatic proposal offering limited sanctions relief and humanitarian incentives in exchange for verifiable limits on Iran’s nuclear program.
While the offer was seen by many observers as a good-faith attempt to restore dialogue and reduce regional instability, Iranian officials swiftly rejected it. Khamenei dismissed the proposal as incompatible with Iran’s national interests and revolutionary values, reinforcing Tehran’s hardline stance.
To the American side and others we say: Why are you interfering and trying to say whether Iran should have uranium enrichment or not? That’s none of your business.
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) June 4, 2025
