On August 13, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected President Donald Trump’s offer of unconditional talks. He said the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal was “clear proof” that Washington cannot be trusted. Khamenei gave several reasons for why Iran would not negotiate with the…
Iran Policy
On August 6, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif dismissed the reimposition of U.S. sanctions. “I believe we will manage to pass this critical juncture as well, as we did in the past. The difference is that the current juncture is not as difficult as the previous ones, because now only…
On July 22, President Hassan Rouhani warned President Donald Trump against taking hostile actions toward Iran. “Don’t play with the lion’s tail; you will regret it,” Rouhani said at a meeting of Iranian diplomats. The Islamic Republic’s “enemies must understand well that war with Iran is the mother…
On July 16, Iran filed a lawsuit against the United States at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the reimposition of U.S. sanctions. Iran alleged that the United States violated a treaty signed in 1955, more than two decades before the Islamic Revolution and the subsequent souring of…
On June 21, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif criticized President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo for making what he called “baseless and provocative allegations” against Iran. “Pompeo, in a baseless and insulting statement, issued a number of demands of and threats against…
On June 4, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei directed the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to increase its uranium enrichment capacity. “The West's dream regarding the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) will not come true, and the Iranian nation and government will not tolerate…
On June 4, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Iran will “strike back ten-fold” if attacked. He touted Iran’s development of ballistic missiles, saying they guarantee the country’s security. Khamenei also directed Iran’s atomic energy agency to prepare to increase its uranium…
On May 23, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued six conditions that must be met by Europe for Iran to remain in the nuclear deal. He demanded that Europe secure “a resolution against the U.S. violation” of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of…
On May 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for foreign forces to withdraw from Syria at a press conference with Syrian President Bashar al Assad. Russia's envoy to Syria clarified Putin's comments the next day, saying they applied to Turkish, U.S., Iranian, and Hezbollah forces. The Russian…
Iranian leaders rejected outright Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s demands for dramatic changes in Tehran’s foreign policy and nuclear program. “It is in no way acceptable that a man who had been working in a spy center for years tells Iran and other countries what to do,” President Hassan Rouhani…