Both President Trump and Iranian officials have shown interest in negotiations. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the idea unwise, but stopped short of ordering his government not to engage.

Iran’s supreme leader says negotiations with America “are not intelligent, wise or honorable,” after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested he wants nuclear talks with Tehran despite reimposing his “ maximum pressure ” approach to Iran.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also suggested that “there should be no negotiations with such a government,” but stopped short of issuing a direct order not to engage with Washington.

Iran's supreme leader said Friday that negotiations with America “are not intelligent, wise or honorable” after President Donald Trump floated nuclear talks with Tehran. According to The Associated Press,

Iran’s supreme leader says that negotiations with America “are not intelligent, wise or honorable” after President Donald Trump floated nuclear talks with Tehran.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei listens to the national anthem as Air Force officers salute during their meeting in Tehran, Iran, February 7, 2025. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Friday that talks with the United States were "not smart,

Iran’s Supreme Leader rejected holding talks with Donald Trump, saying that experience shows it is “not rational, intelligent, or honorable” to do so.

That includes balancing the demands of reformists within the country who want the talks against hard-line elements within Iran’s theocracy, including the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. Khamenei noted that Trump unilaterally withdrew from the earlier nuclear deal under which Iran drastically limited its enrichment of uranium and overall stockpile of the material,