Nuclear chief aligns with Khamenei: No retreat on Iran’s program

Iran’s nuclear chief on Wednesday pledged to continue advancing the country’s nuclear program with what he described as “faith, revolutionary spirit, and heartfelt conviction,” vowing to resist demands from the United States and other powers.

“I assure [you] that... we will stand against the excessive demands of the United States and other hegemonic powers,” Atomic Energy Organization head Mohammad Eslami said in a statement addressed to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as reported by Iranian news agency ISNA.

His remarks followed a speech by Khamenei in which the Supreme Leader dismissed a US proposal for a new nuclear deal and said uranium enrichment was the backbone of Iran’s nuclear program.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the anniversary of Islamic Republic founder Ruhollah Khomeini’s death, Khamenei rejected any compromise on enrichment and said the US “cannot do a damn thing in this matter.”

While Eslami did not mention enrichment directly, he praised progress in areas such as the nuclear fuel cycle and credited Iran’s advances to Khamenei’s leadership.

Talks mediated by Oman between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff have stalled over key issues, including Iran’s insistence on keeping enrichment activities on its soil.