US 'imposing demands, not seeking negotiations', says Iran's Khamenei

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the US did not seek negotiations with Iran, but was rather imposing its demands on it, Al Jazeera reported.

The comments came on Saturday, US President Donald Trump said earlier this week that he sent a letter to the Iranian leadership seeking to initiate talks on a nuclear deal, as per Al Jazeera.

Khamenei's comments came after Trump said that "there are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal" to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Officials in Tehran reiterated on Saturday they had not yet received a letter from Trump.

But speaking during a meeting with senior Iranian officials, Khamenei dismissed the entire premise, accusing the US of seeking even greater restrictions than in previous negotiations. "Some bully governments insist on negotiations," he said, according to state media. "But their negotiations are not aimed at solving issues, but to dominate and impose their own expectations," he said, as per Al Jazeera.

"For them, negotiation is a means to introduce new demands. The issue is not just about nuclear matters, they raise new expectations that Iran will certainly not accept," Khamenei added. "They demand restrictions on the country's defensive capabilities and international influence, saying: 'don't do this, don't meet that person, don't produce that item' or 'your missile range should not exceed a certain limit,'" he said.

Since taking office for his second term in January, Trump has expressed an openness to a new deal with Tehran, but has reinstated an aggressive sanctions campaign and has promised to drive Tehran's oil exports to zero.

On Thursday, the US imposed a new round of sanctions targeting Iran's oil industry, Iran's main source of income. The measures targeted firms, ships and individuals affiliated with companies already sanctioned by the US. Under Biden, the US routinely issued such penalties to enforce existing sanctions, Al Jazeera reported.

Meanwhile, Russia said earlier this week it was willing to help mediate new nuclear talks between the US and Iran amid a possible warmth in relations between the US and Russia over the war in Ukraine, as per Al Jazeera.