Iran claims upper hand in nuclear talks even as Trump floats military option
The Iranian leader's comment came as the US president accused Tehran of dragging out the negotiation process and renewed threats of military action.
TEHRAN — Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reiterated his distrust of the United States, despite praising the Iranian negotiators after their meeting last week with US representatives to discuss Tehran's nuclear program.
"We are, of course, pessimistic. We do know the other side," Khamenei said in a televised speech addressing a meeting of senior government officials in Tehran on Tuesday.
The supreme leader sought to downplay the talks that Iran agreed to in hopes of sanctions relief — as its economy is and has been suffering — and to avoid any American military action, which Trump has threatened.
“The Oman talks are just one among many duties of the Foreign Ministry. Let's not tie the country’s affairs to these negotiations," Khamenei said, urging the officials to strike a balanced tone and cautioning against both excessive optimism and undue pessimism.
