"The US president proudly says they bombed and destroyed Iran's nuclear industry. Very well, keep dreaming!" With these words, Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected Donald Trump's claims that the US destroyed Tehran's nuclear capabilities in a series of large-scale bombings in June 2025, Reuters reports.
Western countries have accused Iran of secretly attempting to develop a nuclear bomb through uranium enrichment and demanded that it stop such activities. Tehran has denied any attempts to turn enrichment into weapons, insisting that the program is purely for civilian energy purposes.
In June, Tehran and Washington conducted five rounds of indirect nuclear negotiations, which culminated in a 12-day aerial war in June, during which Israel and the US bombed Iranian nuclear facilities.
After the strikes, the Iranian leadership, which consistently characterizes US policies as aggressive, imperialistic, and destructive, remained in the country.
Ceasefire in Gaza sparks hopes for Washington-Tehran peace deal
But just for a week. On 13 October, Trump told the Israeli parliament that it would be great if Washington could reach a “peace deal” with Tehran following the start of a ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
Khamenei rejected the proposal to resume negotiations seven days later.
"Trump says he is a dealmaker, but if a deal is accompanied by coercion and its outcome is predetermined, it is not a deal but rather an imposition and bullying," Khamenei said, according to state media.
He also asked, "What does it have to do with America whether Iran has nuclear facilities or not?" adding that "these interventions are inappropriate, wrong, and coercive."
Russia signals stronger cooperation with Tehran
Khamenei's statements came amid Russian claims that it intends to deepen cooperation with Iran "in all areas."
Iran has supplied large batches of kamikaze drones to Russia for the war in Ukraine, killing hundreds of civilians. Tehran is also one of the largest financial sponsors of the Hamas terrorist group, providing the group with resources for terrorist operations, per CNN.
Both countries are planning to formalize their partnership through high-level agreements, focusing on energy infrastructure, military coordination, and nuclear projects.
