Iran's Khamenei says abandoning uranium enrichment is against Tehran's interests
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that abandoning uranium enrichment was '100%' against the country's interests, rejecting a central U.S. demand in talks to resolve a decades-long dispute over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
The U.S. proposal for a new nuclear deal was presented to Iran on Saturday by Oman, which has mediated talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.
After five rounds of talks, several hard-to-bridge issues remain, including Iran's insistence on maintaining uranium enrichment on its soil and Tehran's refusal to ship abroad its entire existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium – possible raw material for nuclear bombs.
Khamenei, who has the final say on all matters of state, said nothing about halting the talks, but said the U.S. proposal 'contradicts our nation's belief in self-reliance and the principle of 'We Can.''
Opinion: With instability on the rise, more countries could turn to nuclear weapons
'Uranium enrichment is the key to our nuclear program and the enemies have focused on the enrichment,' Khamenei said during a televised speech marking the anniversary of the death of the Islamic Republic's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
'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?,' he added.
Tehran says it wants to master nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and has long denied accusations by Western powers that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
Reuters reported on Monday that Tehran was poised to reject the U.S. proposal as a 'non-starter' that failed to soften Washington's stance on uranium enrichment or to address Tehran's interests.
Trump has revived his 'maximum pressure' campaign against Tehran since his return to the White House in January, which included tightening sanctions and threatening to bomb Iran if the negotiations yield no deal.
Trump wants to curtail Tehran's potential to produce a nuclear weapon that could trigger a regional nuclear arms race and perhaps threaten Israel. Iran's clerical establishment, for its part, wants to be rid of devastating sanctions.
During his first term, Trump ditched Tehran's 2015 nuclear pact with six powers and reimposed sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy. Iran responded by escalating enrichment far beyond the pact's limits.
Iran's clerical establishment is grappling with multiple crises – energy and water shortages, a plunging currency, losses among regional militia proxies in conflicts with Israel, and rising fears of an Israeli strike on its nuclear sites – all intensified by Trump's hardline stance.
Iran's arch-foe Israel, which sees Tehran's nuclear program as an existential threat, has repeatedly threatened to bomb the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Tehran has vowed a harsh response.
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It's rooted in a shared history, a cultural closeness and the lived experience of two nations that, for better or worse, are joined at the hip. So where does that leave us? We're clearly in a period of strained political relations with the U.S., fuelled by the unpredictable and narcissistic behaviour of a deranged American president. Trade fights are real, and the consequences affect livelihoods from places such as Winnipeg and Flin Flon. Wednesdays Sent weekly from the heart of Turtle Island, an exploration of Indigenous voices, perspectives and experiences. But let's not let the politics define the entire story. Because on the ground, when lives are on the line, the Canada-U.S. relationship still works. In fact, it thrives. Maybe we should take a page from our own emergency playbook. If we can collaborate so effectively during wildfires — sharing resources, respecting protocols and trusting each other's expertise — why can't we bring that same spirit to trade talks and economic policy? It's tempting for politicians to rally around a common enemy, especially when that enemy is conveniently located just south of the border. But the real world is messier. The same country that imposes unfair tariffs is also the one helping douse the flames in our backyard. In the end, maybe the best measure of a relationship isn't found in balance sheets or tariff lists. Maybe it's found in the way people show up for each other — when it really counts. Tom BrodbeckColumnist Tom Brodbeck is a columnist with the Free Press and has over 30 years experience in print media. He joined the Free Press in 2019. Born and raised in Montreal, Tom graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and commerce. Read more about Tom. Tom provides commentary and analysis on political and related issues at the municipal, provincial and federal level. His columns are built on research and coverage of local events. The Free Press's editing team reviews Tom's columns before they are posted online or published in print – part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
