Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said today that the United States' proposal for a nuclear deal contradicts Tehran's national interests. In a statement quoted by world agencies, he stressed that Iran will not give up uranium enrichment, BTA reports.
“Uranium enrichment remains a key element of the Islamic Republic's nuclear program“, Khamenei said in his speech, describing the topic as a major obstacle in negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
Earlier this week, an Iranian diplomat told Reuters that his country was ready to reject the American proposal, calling it a “failed project” that does not take into account Iran's interests and does not change the US's firm position on the nuclear program.
Iran has long maintained that its nuclear efforts are aimed solely at peaceful purposes, and has consistently rejected Western accusations that it is seeking to create nuclear weapons, Reuters recalls.