What's next as Khamenei rejects Trump's offer for US-Iran diplomacy?
The Iranian supreme leader's adamant refusal laid bare divisions within Iran's political structure and has shaken pro-engagement camps that pinned hopes of economic reform on recent overtures from the US president.
TEHRAN — Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, outright rejected any possibility of direct talks with the United States, despite recent debates suggesting that the two archfoes were inching closer to resolving their long-standing disputes through diplomacy.
"First of all, negotiations with America will have no impact on resolving our country's problems. We need to understand this clearly," Khamenei declared during a televised address to air force commanders in Tehran on Friday.
The Iranian leader based his argument on Tehran's failed "experience" with the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The accord had promised the Islamic Republic considerable economic dividends and sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. It was, however, abandoned by President Donald Trump during his first term in office, a move that reimposed onerous sanctions as part of his "maximum pressure" campaign against the Islamic Republic.
