The Leader made the remarks on Wednesday during a speech at the 36th anniversary of the demise of Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic.
Emphasizing national independence, resistance to foreign pressure, and technological self-sufficiency, Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran would not accept any agreement that undermines its ability to enrich uranium.
“A nuclear power plant without enrichment is useless,” he said. “It’s like owning oil but being banned from building a refinery.”
The Leader added the US is seeking to prevent Iran’s scientific progress and force dependency.
“They want us to need them for fuel and medical isotopes,” he added, referring to past failed negotiations over 20% enriched uranium in the 2000s, which he said “revealed the unreliability of Western commitments.”
The Leader also reiterated that the Islamic Revolution significantly reduced US influence in the region and globally.
“The sharp decline of America’s global standing is caused by Imam Khomeini’s revolution,” he said, adding that Iran’s political system has withstood unprecedented foreign plots.
Ayatollah Khamenei reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to increasing national power, including defense capabilities. “Resistance means not bowing to the will of global powers,” he said, saying, “We will continue to grow stronger.”
“The Iranian people must be aware of what is at stake,” the Leader concluded, clarifying, “Our answer to American demands is clear; they have no right to dictate what Iran can or cannot do.”
Ayatollah described Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza
as “astonishing atrocities”, asserting that the regime is “collapsing by divine decree.”
The Leader said “Instead of bombs, they are now killing people with bullets. How depraved, petty, and wicked can human beings be?”
He also held the US responsible, saying Washington is complicit in the violence. “America is a partner in these crimes and must be expelled from the region,” he declared.
The Iranian Leader warned Islamic governments against siding with Israel. “Any government in the Islamic world that supports the Zionist regime in any form will bear eternal disgrace,” he said, calling for a decisive and unified stance among Muslim nations.
