Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to uranium enrichment, stressed that the country has no plans to develop nuclear weapons, and dismissed any benefit from negotiating with the current U.S. administration.
Speaking on the onset of Sacred Defense Week, which marks the 45th anniversary of Iraq’s invasion of Iran, Khamenei addressed the nation in a live broadcast on television and radio. The speech focused on national unity, Iran’s nuclear program, and relations with the United States.
National Unity and Resistance
Khamenei highlighted Iran’s resilience in the face of foreign aggression, including a recent 12-day conflict, saying, “Only one week after the start of the Israeli aggression on Iran, the enemy realized it could not achieve its goals, and that the Islamic Republic would not fall so easily as it had predicted. This is due to the unity of the Iranian people, and they severely miscalculated.”
He emphasized that Iranians stood together during crises: “There will always be internal disagreements and different views, but when it comes to confronting the enemy, all of us Iranians turn into an iron fist.” He noted that instead of protesting the government, “the people flooded the streets to protest against the Zionist enemy.”
Uranium Enrichment and Nuclear Capability
Khamenei underlined Iran’s achievements in nuclear technology: “Iran is one of only ten countries in the world that possesses its own uranium enrichment technology. Enriched uranium is used in important fields and the Iranian people will benefit from it. The list of uses for enriched uranium is long and the enemy was not satisfied with its use. Today, Iran enjoys a high level of uranium enrichment. However, as repeatedly stated, we do not seek to have nuclear weapons.”
He further stressed Iran’s scientific capability, saying, “We don’t plan on building nuclear weapons, but I want to emphasize that we have hundreds of nuclear scientists and thousands of nuclear physics graduates, who are willing and ready to take on any task.”
Khamenei warned that Iran’s nuclear program cannot be eliminated by external attacks: “We will not give up uranium enrichment, we will continue. The Iranian people will smack Trump or anyone else who wants to take enrichment away from us. Our nuclear program cannot be eliminated by bombing. We will not surrender to demands.”
Criticism of the U.S. and JCPOA Reflections
Reflecting on past agreements, the Leader said: “Everyone knows that ten years ago we signed the JCPOA agreement, closed our nuclear sites, and destroyed our stockpile of enriched uranium, and they said they would lift the sanctions. I told the officials at the time that ten years is way too long, but they said it would be fine, and now you have come to my point; not only have the problems not decreased, they have in fact increased. We did everything we were supposed to do, but the U.S. did not lift the sanctions. If you want to do this again and accept the threats, it will once again get even worse than before; let’s not forget our past experiences.”
He described current U.S.-Iran negotiations as ineffective: “Our negotiations with America are in a total and complete deadlock. They threaten us and demand from us, but we won’t yield. Under the current circumstances, negotiating with the U.S. does not help us, it has zero benefits, and it will not prevent any harm towards us. In fact, negotiating now would cause harm. As I have stated before, negotiations with the United States are useless, because the U.S. has already predetermined the results of the negotiation, which is that we must stop nuclear activities and enrichment. This is no negotiation; it is dictation and imposition.”
Khamenei criticized American demands, including halting Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, and called the U.S. government “hypocritical and threatening.”
Focus on National Strength
The Leader emphasized that Iran’s progress relies on self-reliance: “Therefore, the only way to progress the country is to become strong, advance militarily, scientifically, and focus on our own strengths.” He concluded, “When Iran is powerful, no enemy can threaten it,” stressing reliance on God and the Iranian people’s unity.
Support for Hezbollah
Khamenei also praised Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, calling him “an immense treasure, not just for Lebanon, but for the entire Middle East,” and urged regional actors not to underestimate Hezbollah’s power and determination.
