In a strongly worded statement on Monday, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that Tehran would only consider cooperation with the United States if Washington completely changed its regional policies, particularly its unwavering support for Israel and military presence in the Middle East.
“If they completely abandon support for the Zionist regime, withdraw their military bases from here (the region), and refrain from interfering in this region, then it (cooperation) can be considered,”
Khamenei said during a gathering with students in Tehran marking the anniversary of the 1979 US embassy takeover, a symbolic event in the history of Iran’s Islamic Revolution.
He further asserted that “the arrogant nature of the United States accepts nothing other than submission,” reaffirming Tehran’s long-held position of resistance against Western influence.
Fallout from Iran-Israel Conflict
Khamenei’s remarks come months after an unprecedented conflict between Iran and Israel in June, which escalated following a large-scale Israeli bombing campaign on Iranian targets.
The 12-day war drew in the United States, which briefly joined the offensive with strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. In response, Iran launched missile and drone attacks against Israeli targets.
The conflict derailed nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington that had begun in April. A ceasefire, brokered after intense diplomatic efforts, has been in place since June 24, though tensions remain high.
Khamenei emphasised that Iran’s security lies in strength, warning adversaries against underestimating the country’s resolve:
“If the country becomes strong and the enemy realises that confronting this strong nation will not yield profit but will bring loss, the country will certainly gain immunity.”
Years of Sanctions and Renewed UN Measures
Iran continues to struggle under crippling international sanctions, intensified since 2018, when the United States under then-President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear accord (JCPOA) and reimposed sanctions.
The situation worsened in September 2025, when the United Nations reinstated sanctions through the “snapback” mechanism—a process triggered by Britain, France, and Germany—citing Tehran’s alleged violations of the nuclear deal.
These sanctions have hit Iran’s energy sector, financial transactions, and foreign trade, further deepening the country’s economic woes.
Iran Says Ready for Nuclear Talks, Not Missiles
Despite the growing strain, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera on Sunday that Tehran remains open to resuming nuclear negotiations with the United States — but strictly on its nuclear programme.
“We are ready to enter negotiations on our nuclear programme, but we will not discuss our missile capabilities,” Araghchi clarified.
He added that talks could resume “whenever the Americans are ready to negotiate on an equal footing and based on mutual interests.”
“Apparently, they are not in a hurry. We are not in a hurry either,” he added, signalling a stalemate in diplomatic efforts.
Background: Decades of Tension
Relations between Tehran and Washington have remained fraught since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which saw the overthrow of the US-backed Shah and the subsequent US embassy hostage crisis.
While both sides have intermittently engaged in dialogue—most notably during the 2015 nuclear deal negotiations—trust has eroded over mutual accusations of regional destabilisation, proxy conflicts, and human rights abuses.
As Iran marks the centenary of its revolution’s founding ideology of self-reliance and anti-imperialism, Khamenei’s remarks reaffirm that meaningful engagement with the United States remains conditional and distant unless Washington dramatically alters its Middle East policy.