Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran

Tehran, Sep 24: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday reiterated that the country has no plans to build nuclear weapons but ruled out direct talks with the United States, calling them “a sheer dead end,” as European leaders warned that sanctions could soon be reimposed over Iran’s nuclear program.

Khamenei said Iran had no reason to engage in talks with the US, despite France, Germany, and Britain stressing that negotiations are necessary for Iran to retain existing sanctions relief. “We have reached an advanced level in uranium enrichment. While countries aiming to develop nuclear weapons enrich uranium up to 90%, we have limited ours at 60%,” he said. He added that Iran would not pursue weapons-grade enrichment, “because we have no need for such weapons and have intended not to pursue nuclear weapons.”

Khamenei dismissed talks with Washington as ineffective, stating, “The US has announced the results of the talks in advance. The result is the closure of nuclear activities and enrichment. This is not a negotiation. It is a diktat, an imposition.” He warned that accepting such negotiations would make Iran “susceptible to threats” and force the nation to surrender under pressure.

Criticising US demands to halt enrichment altogether, Khamenei said, “It means they’re saying this great achievement for which our country has worked so hard should be destroyed! The Iranian nation will slap anyone who suggests such a thing and refuse to accept it.” On past strikes against Iranian nuclear sites, he added, “They came and bombed facilities… But enrichment is a science, and science cannot be destroyed by bombs or threats.”

The remarks, broadcast on Iranian state TV, came as President Masoud Pezeshkian attended the UN General Assembly in New York. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also met diplomats from France, Germany, and Britain regarding the pending sanctions.
Germany’s foreign office said in a post on X that France, Germany, Britain, and the EU had urged Iran to take action “within days, if not hours” regarding its nuclear program. The statement called on Iran to resume direct talks with the US and allow the International Atomic Energy Agency full access to its nuclear facilities.

The three European nations, known as the E3, have triggered the UN “snapback” process that could reinstate sanctions unless an agreement is reached. If implemented on Sunday, the sanctions would freeze Iranian assets abroad, halt arms sales to Tehran, and impose restrictions on its ballistic missile program.