Iran not after nukes, talks with US futile at present: Sayyed Khamenei
During Sacred Defense Week, Sayyed Ali Khamenei affirms Iran's commitment to uranium enrichment and rejects talks with the United States.
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In this photo released on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, by an official website of the office of the Iranian leader, Sayyed Ali Khamenei speaks in a televised speech (AP)
Iran does not seek to possess nuclear weapons, asserted the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic of Iran, Sayyed Ali Khamenei.
Addressing the nation to mark the beginning of Sacred Defense Week, which commemorates the 45th anniversary of the Iraqi war on war, the event that initiated the Iranian nation's resistance, Sayyed Khamenei reiterated Iran's position on the nature of its nuclear program, asserting its peacefulness and emphasizing its use in civilian fields.
"Iran is one of the 10 countries that possess uranium enrichment technology, and we do not seek to possess nuclear bombs," he asserted.
Before delving into the uranium enrichment issues, and in his opening remarks of his live televised speech, the Leader talked about martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, stating that he was an asset to the Islamic world, not just to the Shia sect, noting that Hezbollah's strength is a great asset for both Lebanon and beyond. "This legacy endures, that the story of Hezbollah continues," he asserted.
Regarding uranium enrichment, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution stated that Tehran and the Western states are at odds on the issue. He explained that uranium enrichment is a process that is both effective and beneficial in people's lives, with applications prevalent in diverse fields, such as agriculture, industry, nutrition, environment, natural resources, and electricity.
He added that the list of uses for enriched uranium is long and that the enemy has never been satisfied with its peaceful application, also noting that Iran now possesses a high level of enrichment and is among the ten countries that have mastered this technology.
No one can take away uranium enrichment from Iran
The Iranian Leader stated that even the bombing of several nuclear sites could not stop Iran's uranium enrichment program, because the country had fully mastered the science behind it and now has dozens, even hundreds, of domestic experts in the field.
"Iran has not given in to pressures, nor will it do that in the future," Sayyed Khamenei emphasized.
He further pointed out that the United States insists on a policy of zero uranium enrichment, explaining that Washington's demand for Tehran to abandon this capability is a demand to give up a significant national achievement.
Iran has "paid exorbitant costs for uranium enrichment," Sayyed Ali Khamenei emphasized in his speech, reasserting Iran's position of not abandoning enrichment and affirming that the Iranian people "will slap those who want us to abandon it."
Sayyed Khamenei noted that while enemies have targeted Iran's nuclear facilities, scientific knowledge cannot be eliminated through bombardment, emphasizing that the country possesses dozens of senior nuclear scientists, hundreds more following in their path, and thousands of specialists working in the nuclear field.
Talks with US only bring harm
He continued by stating that Iran had fulfilled all its obligations in the nuclear agreement, yet the other parties have failed to lift the sanctions, and because of the accumulated experiences with the US, engaging in talks with them is not a feasible path.
Sayyed Ali Khamenei emphasized that engaging in talks with the United States would not bring Iran any benefits and would, in fact, be harmful in the present situation.
The United States made excessive demands from Iran during the talks, including giving up its missiles and uranium enrichment, he said, noting that this reflects their deep ignorance toward Tehran.
He characterized the US government as "dishonest" and "hypocritical", noting that it resorts to intimidation and threats to achieve its objectives, while stressing that Iran's only solution is to grow progressively stronger in the face of these threats through reliance on God.
The Leader of Iran emphasized that "the United States wants to impose its dictates on Iran, and this is not negotiation... What they want from talks is for Iran's hands to be completely empty, so it cannot defend itself when they target it."
Iran's cohesion defeated 'Israel', US
Sayyed Khamenei then pointed at how the US and "Israel" realized that they failed at achieving their goals a week after launching their aggression on Iran, attributing this failure to the cohesion and unity of the Iranian people, declaring "the plans of the enemy failed thanks to the solidarity of the Iranian people."
"There are internal differences in opinion, however, when it comes to confronting the enemy, everyone turns into an iron fist," he stated, noting that "Iran will be the same Iran that confronted the aggression and the same Iran that took to the streets to support the administration."
Iran's Leader stated that the enemy believed that by targeting Iran's leadership, it would create turmoil within the country, as, according to him, the enemy's primary objective is to foment unrest and sedition in Iranian cities.