Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has expressed caution regarding ongoing negotiations with the United States, advising officials not to “tie the country’s affairs” to the talks.
The discussions, which are set to resume for a second round on Saturday, have made some initial progress, but Khamenei remains wary of their long-term success.
Speaking to high-ranking officials in Tehran on Tuesday, Khamenei acknowledged the advancement of talks while maintaining a guarded outlook. He stated, “We shouldn’t be overly optimistic about this dialogue, nor overly pessimistic.”
He emphasized the importance of careful execution moving forward: “The first steps have been taken well and executed properly. From here on, the process should be followed carefully.” The Supreme Leader also outlined the clear “red lines” for both sides, stressing that while a successful outcome is uncertain, the negotiations are still worth pursuing. “We may or may not reach a result, but either way, it’s worth pursuing,” he said.
Khamenei further warned against placing too much hope in the talks, asserting, “Of course, we don’t fully trust them – we know who we’re dealing with.” He concluded by highlighting Iran’s confidence in its own strength: “But we are optimistic about our own capabilities.”
In the US, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff detailed the areas of focus for the upcoming talks, particularly Iran’s uranium enrichment levels and missile development. Speaking to US media, Witkoff noted that the discussions would center around “two critical points,” specifically enrichment levels and verification of Iran’s weapons programs. “They do not need to enrich past 3.67%. In some circumstances, they’re at 60% and other circumstances 20%,” he explained.
Witkoff stressed the importance of verifying Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, with a particular focus on ensuring that the country’s stockpiles do not pose a threat. “This is going to be much about verification on the enrichment program and then ultimately verification on weaponisation. That includes missiles, the type of missiles that they have stockpiled there. And it includes, the trigger for a bomb,” he said.
Reflecting President Trump’s position, Witkoff emphasized the need for “very tight verification,” criticizing the lack of oversight in previous years. “That’s got to change. And if it changes, then we’ll have the basis for positive talks. And if it doesn’t change, then we’ll have to seek alternatives which will not be good for anybody,” he warned.
Meanwhile, the location of the weekend talks remains uncertain. Initially, Rome was proposed as the venue, but Iran announced early Tuesday that the discussions would return to Oman.
As the two countries approach nearly fifty years of tension, the significance of these negotiations cannot be understated. President Trump has repeatedly threatened airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities if a deal is not reached. At the same time, Iranian officials are signaling a potential move towards nuclear weapons, citing their growing stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.
