Ayatollah Khamenei declared on Monday that as long as Washington continues its unwavering support for Israel, any form of cooperation between Iran and the United States will remain impossible.
According to Reuters, Khamenei further stated that maintaining American military bases across the Middle East and continuing interference in the region’s affairs are also major obstacles that prevent normalization of relations between Tehran and Washington.
His remarks come amid renewed U.S. efforts to isolate Iran diplomatically and economically. Iranian state media quoted Khamenei as saying:
“The Americans occasionally claim they wish to cooperate with Iran. But cooperation is meaningless when the United States stands by Israel, sustains its military presence in the region, and meddles in our neighboring countries. Under such circumstances, collaboration cannot take place.”
It is worth recalling that President Donald Trump said in October that the United States was “ready to strike a deal” whenever Tehran was willing, asserting that “the hand of friendship and cooperation with Iran remains extended.”
Earlier, in June, a twelve-day conflict erupted between Iran and Israel — during which the United States reportedly intervened and carried out strikes targeting key Iranian nuclear sites.
Even today, negotiations face formidable hurdles. The most critical sticking point remains Iran’s uranium enrichment program. Western powers insist that enrichment be reduced to zero to eliminate any potential path toward nuclear weapons. Tehran, however, has categorically rejected this demand, viewing it as an infringement on its sovereign rights.
