Khamenei Calls U.S. Uranium Enrichment Demands 'Nonsense,' Doubts Nuclear Talks Will Succeed

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed U.S. demands for Tehran to stop enriching uranium entirely, calling the request "utter nonsense" and raising doubts about the success of future nuclear talks.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Khamenei stated, "For the Americans to say, 'We won’t allow Iran to enrich uranium,' is utter nonsense. We are not waiting for anyone’s permission."

He continued, "The Islamic Republic has its own policies, and it will continue to pursue them," without providing further details on what those policies entail.

In recent years, Iran has faced mounting international pressure to halt its nuclear program, with concerns that Tehran may be seeking to develop nuclear weapons. While Iran has not explicitly declared an intention to build a nuclear weapon, it has enriched uranium to near-weapons-grade levels and advanced its missile program, which experts say could enable Iran to launch a nuclear warhead.

Uranium enrichment can be used for civilian nuclear energy, and many countries, including the U.S., rely on nuclear power for energy generation. The U.S. uses nuclear energy to supply nearly 20% of its electricity, making it the largest source of clean energy. However, according to the International Energy Agency, Iran's nuclear energy use accounted for less than 1% of its total energy consumption in 2022.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's inquiries about whether it had specifically demanded that Iran halt all uranium enrichment.

Khamenei also suggested that the Trump administration’s efforts to negotiate Iran's nuclear program might not have lasting effects. "Indirect negotiations took place during Martyr Raisi's term, similar to what’s happening now. Needless to say, there was no result," he said, referring to negotiations under the Biden administration. "We don’t think these negotiations will yield results now either. We don’t know what will happen."

Reports have indicated that the fifth round of nuclear talks could take place this weekend in Rome, but both Khamenei and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi have stated that Iran has not yet agreed to the talks following the latest U.S. demands.

Araqchi told reporters on Tuesday, "A date has been suggested, but we have not yet accepted it. We are witnessing positions from the U.S. side that do not make any sense and are creating obstacles for the negotiations." He added, "That’s why we have not yet set a date for the next round of talks. We are still reviewing the situation and hope that logic will prevail."