Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that Tehran rejects any negotiations with the United States and European countries on its national nuclear program and is not going to make any concessions, as Libya did in 2003. The newspaper reported this on April 25 As-Sharq Al-Awsat.
“Some people advise us to accept one of America's demands to solve the problem. I'll tell you: their (Americans – Ed.) demands are limitless. They want us to be completely dependent. They say: Submit to us,” Khamenei said during a speech to Iranian workers.
He also criticized new Western sanctions against Iran, adding that their goal is to leave the country in economic decline and without protection.
“So they want to move forward step by step to eventually take over all our nuclear equipment, as happened in this North African country,” Khamenei added, referring to Libya's dismantling of its nuclear program in 2003 due to Western sanctions.
In 2003, in an effort to normalize relations with the United States, Libya curtailed its program to create weapons of mass destruction. At the time of disarmament it was in its early stages.
In January, White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said the United States would not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. In his opinion, this would be bad for the entire region, if not for the whole world. Kirby noted that if Iran does not agree to a diplomatic settlement of this issue, there are other ways.
Earlier, on December 29, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said that the country rejects criticism from France, Germany, Great Britain and the United States that the state has increased production volumes of uranium enrichment. According to him, Iran does not violate norms, but acts in accordance with its peaceful nuclear program.
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