Khamenei warns Iran government against negotiating with U.S.

Iran's supreme leader warns against negotiating with the US, citing previous experiences and urging caution in diplomacy.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday (February 7, 2025) urged his government not to negotiate with the United States, saying it would be "unwise".

"You should not negotiate with such a government, it is unwise, it is not intelligent, it is not honourable to negotiate," Mr. Khamenei said, adding the United States had previously "ruined, violated, and tore up" a 2015 nuclear deal.

The warning came days after U.S. President Donald Trump called for a "verified nuclear peace agreement" with Iran, adding that it "cannot have a nuclear weapon".

Iran insists its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes and denies any intention to develop atomic weapons.

"We must understand this correctly: they should not pretend that if we sit down at the negotiating table with that government (the US administration), problems will be solved," Mr. Khamenei said during a meeting with army commanders.

"No problem will be solved by negotiating with America," he said, citing previous "experience".

Mr. Trump, who returned to the White House on January 20, had on Tuesday reinstated his "maximum pressure" policy against Iran over allegations the country is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.