Iran's supreme leader says he will never negotiate with Trump administration


Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, took a page out of President Trump's diplomacy handbook Monday by tweeting his refusal to conduct negotiations with the U.S. Khamenei outlined his disdain for America in a six-part thread on his English-language Twitter account, and he included an infographic detailing the "U.S. formula for negotiation," which slammed the U.S. government for being so focused on "power and money" that they "consider negotiations as a business deal."
Khamenei also spoke in public Monday about Iran and the U.S.'s rocky relationship, saying, "I ban holding any talks with America. ... America never remains loyal to its promises," per Reuters.
Despite the hostilities, Khamenei declared on both Twitter and in a televised address that there will be no war between the two countries. Khamenei's assurance comes three weeks after Trump's explosive tweet telling Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to never threaten the U.S., "or you will suffer consequences."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Tensions have been especially high between the two countries since the U.S. backed out of the Iran nuclear deal in May, Newsweek notes. The U.S. announced it was reimposing economic sanctions against Iran last week, putting pressure on Europe to choose between American and Iranian markets.
Although Khamenei tweeted that negotiations between the U.S. and Iran were "impossible," he said that if talks were to happen, they would "never ever be with the current U.S. administration." Read more at Reuters.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Marianne is The Week’s Social Media Editor. She is a native Tennessean and recent graduate of Ohio University, where she studied journalism and political science. Marianne has previously written for The Daily Beast, The Crime Report, and The Moroccan Times.
-
5 darkly funny cartoons about Israel blocking aid to Gaza
Cartoons Artists take on forcing famine, avoiding aid, and more
-
The easy elegance of Cap Ferret
The Week Recommends 'Elemental and otherworldly' destination is loved for its natural beauty
-
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: flirting with authoritarianism?
Talking Point Ukraine's president is facing first major domestic unrest since the Russian invasion, over plans to water down the country's anti-corruption agencies
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nears
Speed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top court
Speed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunity
Speed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein