The Islamic Republic will never participate in talks intended to dismantle its nuclear program, Iran's mission to the United Nations said on Sunday, a day after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei rejected nuclear talks with world powers.
"If the objective of negotiations is to address concerns vis-à-vis any potential militarization of Iran’s nuclear program, such discussions may be subject to consideration," Iran's UN mission said in a post on its official X account.
However, it added, "should the aim be the dismantlement of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program to claim that what Obama failed to achieve has now been accomplished, such negotiations will never take place."
A few hours later, Iran's foreign minister appeared to revise the statement by Tehran's UN mission.
"Iran's nuclear energy program has always been—and will always remain—entirely peaceful. There is fundamentally no such thing as its 'potential militarization'," Abbas Araghchi said.
"We will NOT negotiate under pressure and intimidation. We will NOT even consider it, no matter the subject," he added in a post on his X account.
On Saturday, Khamenei dismissed the prospect of talks with the United States in his first public speech after President Donald Trump said he sent a letter to him.
"The insistence of some bullying governments on negotiations is not aimed at resolving issues but rather at asserting dominance and imposing their demands," Khamenei said in a meeting with Iranian officials in Tehran.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran will certainly not accept their demands," he added.
The White House, responding to Khamenei's comments, reiterated Trump's assertion that Tehran can be dealt with either militarily or by making a deal.
"We hope the Iran regime puts its people and best interests ahead of terror," White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement.
A State Department spokesperson also told Iran International the Trump administration will maintain its maximum pressure campaign on Iran if Tehran refuses to reach an agreement.
Trump warned on Friday that the situation with Iran had reached a critical stage, adding that he preferred to reach a deal over Tehran's nuclear program than turn to military force.
