Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded to American criticism of the country's nuclear program by saying Tehran would not seek permission from anyone to enrich uranium, calling the American claims "nonsense", the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
"They say they won't allow Iran to enrich uranium," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said at an event commemorating the late President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a plane crash last year. "Nobody in Iran asks for their permission. The Islamic Republic has its own policies and direction and will stick to them," he added.
Khamenei made his remarks as indirect talks between Iran and the United States continue, although the ayatollah expressed doubt about their outcome.
"Yes, indirect talks were held during Raisi's administration, just like now," he said. "However, they did not lead to anything, so we do not expect much from the current ones. "No one knows what will happen," the Iranian supreme leader added.
His statement is a telling expression of Iran's growing irritation with the stalemate in nuclear talks, as well as tensions between Iran and the United States in recent years, the AP notes.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told Iran's IRNA news agency that "no final decision has been made about the next round of talks," adding that "Iran is analyzing the situation, taking into account the contradictory and constantly changing positions of the American side."
Kazem Gharibabadi, the deputy foreign minister, confirmed that Tehran had received a proposal for a new round of talks with Washington and was currently considering the issue, IRNA added.