OAN Staff James Meyers
11:57 AM – Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Iran’s supreme leader on Wednesday called the U.S. “arrogant” after rejecting an amended nuclear deal that would allow Tehran to continue low-level uranium enrichment.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei argued that leaving behind uranium enrichment was “100%” against his country’s interests and “can do spirit,” as he was critical of a central U.S. demand amid talks to resolve a decades-long dispute over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
When Khamenei uses the term “can do spirit,” he is arguing that Iran holds a mindset of self-reliance, determination, and national resilience—in the face of foreign pressure or sanctions.
“The proposal that the Americans have presented is 100% against our interests … The rude and arrogant leaders of America repeatedly demand that we should not have a nuclear program. Who are you to decide whether Iran should have enrichment?” he said in a televised speech.
The remarks by the country’s leader comes after the Trump administration presented Iran with the latest proposal for a new nuclear deal.
The newest proposal would allow Tehran to continue enriching uranium domestically, but would be limited to civilian use. Additionally, the altered deal would temporarily limit Tehran’s enrichment concentration all the way down to just 3%, which is below weapons grade levels that requires 90%.
Nonetheless, several issues remain within the deal, including Iran’s emphasis on maintaining uranium enrichment on its home soil.
However, the supreme leader of Iran, who has final jurisdiction on all matters of state, did not say the talks should be stopped. He noted that the latest proposal “contradicts our nation’s belief in self-reliance and the principle of ‘We Can.’”
“Uranium enrichment is the key to our nuclear program, and the enemies have focused on the enrichment,” Khamenei said.
“If we had 100 nuclear power plants while not having enrichment, they are not usable for us,” he added. “If we do not have enrichment, then we should extend our hand [begging] to the U.S.”
Meanwhile, since reassuming the presidency in January, Trump has intensified pressure on Iran through a series of escalating measures, including the imposition of stricter sanctions and the issuance of explicit threats of military action should the Iranian government decline to comply with proposed terms.
“Iran is drafting a negative response to the US proposal, which could be interpreted as a rejection of the US offer,” a senior Tehran diplomat said to Reuters.
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