Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Tuesday that recent nuclear discussions between Iran and the United States in Oman had gone well—but warned that the talks might still lead nowhere, reported by The News.
The talks, held a week ago in Muscat and scheduled to resume on April 19, were the highest-level contact between Tehran and Washington since the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). While Khamenei said the first steps were “well carried out,” he stressed that “the negotiations may or may not yield results,” and declared Iran remained pessimistic about the US.
Since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump has revived his “maximum pressure” sanctions strategy against Iran. In March, he reportedly sent a letter to Khamenei, urging a return to talks and warning of possible military action if Iran refused.
Despite decades without official diplomatic ties, both nations have described the recent talks as “constructive,” although Iran insists the negotiations are indirect and mediated by Oman.
Trump’s renewed threats came just a day before Khamenei’s remarks. He warned that if no deal is reached, the US might strike Iran’s nuclear sites. Tehran maintains that its nuclear programme is peaceful, focused on energy—not weapons.
Khamenei and Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have drawn firm red lines. These include no discussion of Iran’s military strength or missile systems. “National security and defence… cannot be negotiated,” said Guards spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini.
US envoy Steve Witkoff stated Iran must return to the 3.67% uranium enrichment cap outlined in the JCPOA. The UN nuclear watchdog recently reported Iran had stockpiled uranium enriched up to 60%—dangerously close to weapons-grade.
Meanwhile, Iran continues supporting regional allies like Hezbollah, Hamas, and other resistance groups, a point also off-limits in the talks.
Though hope lingers, Khamenei reminded Iranians not to place all their faith in negotiations. “We must not tie our country’s fate to talks that may not bear fruit,” he said, underlining Iran’s historic distrust of the United States.
