In a recent statement, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sharply criticized former U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing him of hypocrisy regarding foreign policy. “Trump claimed he aimed to use power for peace — he lied,” Khamenei said. “Instead, he and his administration unleashed violence in Gaza, provoked conflicts wherever possible, and bolstered their mercenaries.”
Khamenei also renewed his hostile rhetoric toward Israel, referring to it as “the Zionist regime” and describing it as “a dangerous and malignant cancerous tumor in this region [that] must and will be uprooted.” He added, “The U.S. must and will leave this region.”
Despite these inflammatory remarks, diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran continue as both sides work toward a potential new agreement aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions and preventing another broad conflict in the Middle East.
Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Khamenei, told NBC this week that Iran is prepared to commit to a series of significant steps to ensure it does not develop nuclear weapons. These include never pursuing nuclear arms, reducing stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, limiting enrichment to civilian levels, and allowing international inspections in exchange for the full removal of U.S. sanctions.
However, Trump has signaled he wants to avoid any new deal that resembles the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), brokered under then-President Barack Obama along with the EU and China. Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the JCPOA in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, prompting Iran a year later to begin walking back its compliance with the agreement.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi emphasized over the weekend that Tehran will not relinquish its right to a peaceful nuclear program. Nevertheless, he assured that Iran is approaching the renewed talks with the U.S. in “good faith.”
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