In this image shared by an official website of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a ceremonial meeting with a group of officials in Tehran, Iran, on March 8, 2025. (Image provided by the Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
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AP/Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader
Former President Trump stated that he had sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last week requesting discussions over Iran’s nuclear program. The Iranian leader responded on Saturday, condemning the attempts by unnamed “bullying governments” to influence a deal regarding the program.
In an interview with Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, Trump emphasized that the alternatives to negotiations include military actions.
“Iran can either be addressed through militaristic means or through a negotiated settlement,” Trump remarked. “I would rather opt for a negotiation, as I do not desire to bring harm to Iran. I have met many Iranians in this country, and they are wonderful people.”
The president continued to criticize the Iranian leadership but mentioned he personally reached out to the supreme leader to initiate a conversation. Khamenei dismissed this overture on Saturday while meeting with government and military officials.
“The relentless insistence from some bullying governments to negotiate serves only to impose their own demands rather than resolve issues,” Khamenei stated, according to state media. “The Islamic Republic of Iran refuses to yield to those demands.”
Iran’s nuclear program has faced scrutiny from Western nations for almost two decades. The Iranian government insists that its nuclear advancements are solely for energy purposes, while the U.S. and its allies contend that the program masks ambitions for developing nuclear weapons.
On Sunday, Iran appeared to be open to limited talks, as its UN mission posted a message on X indicating that Iran is willing to discuss the “militarization” of its nuclear ambitions, but firmly stated that “dismantlement” of its program is non-negotiable.
“If the goal is to dismantle Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, claiming that what was not achieved during the Obama administration has now succeeded, such negotiations will never occur,” stated Iran’s UN Mission.
Despite claiming peaceful intentions for its nuclear program, Iranian officials have recently intimated the possibility of developing a nuclear bomb in light of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, as noted in a recent resolution introduced by Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla. Moreover, reports indicate that the production of weapons-grade uranium has been on the rise, according to the Associated Press.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., expressed his vision for a deal with Iran in remarks to Fox News.
“A solid agreement to me would involve the cessation of all enrichment activities by Iran, along with the removal of all highly enriched uranium from their possession—I’m open to purchasing it from them and permitting them to maintain a nuclear power system reliant on fuel from Russia, China, or an international consortium,” Graham stated.
In essence, Graham indicated that he aims to eliminate Iran’s capability to produce nuclear weapons.
Trump reiterated his message to the leader of Iran.
“I urged them, ‘I hope you’ll choose to negotiate because it would yield better outcomes for Iran,'” Trump recounted in his conversation with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo. “And I believe they are interested in receiving that letter. The alternative, however, is that we must take action, as allowing them to develop a nuclear weapon is not an option.”
