IRAN: Khamenei Talks Down US Deal Despite 5th Round Of Talks In The Works

As noted earlier (see 'OIL: Oil Moves Higher On Iran Talks Doubts', 0908BST), speaking at an event commemorating the late hardline conservative President Ebrahim Raisi, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says "Of course, there were indirect negotiations [with the US] during [Raisi's] time, as there are now, but without results. We don’t expect them to yield results now either. We don’t know what will happen." Khamenei: "Talking about negotiations, I would like to give a warning to the other side. The American side that is entering into these indirect negotiations should talk, negotiate, and try not to talk nonsense."

• Regarding calls from US officials for Iran to halt its nuclear enrichment programme, Khamenei adds, "To say that we will not allow Iran to enrich uranium is a big mistake. No one is waiting for permission for this or that. The Islamic Republic has a policy, it has a method, it follows its own policy."
• It should be noted that the Supreme Leader has a long history of making hard-line comments in public forums, emphasising the resistance of Tehran to US influence and efforts to impinge Iran's sovereignty, only to then permit deeper engagement in behind-closed-door talks in order to facilitate shifts that could see sanctions relaxed.
• As such, delivering such negative-sounding commentary on the ongoing talks at an event commemorating Raisi, who died in a 2024 helicopter crash, may be 'playing to the crowd' rather than a signal that talks really have hit an impasse.
• Earlier, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed Tehran was evaluating US proposals for a fifth round of talks.