TEHRAN – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that abandoning uranium enrichment is “100 percent” against Tehran’s interests, rejecting a key U.S. demand in weeks of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
The Trump administration over the weekend proposed the outline of a deal that would seem to allow Iran to continue enriching uranium, which had been a sticking point in talks — but only temporarily.  
In his first public remarks since the proposal was reported on, Ayatollah Khamenei said that Iran’s “response to the U.S. government’s nonsense is clear.”
He said in a speech that it would be “useless” for Iran to build nuclear power plants without being able to enrich uranium over the long term, dismissing the U.S. proposal as an attempt to obstruct Iran’s nuclear industry and self-reliance.
“Without enrichment and the ability to produce nuclear fuel, even having 100 nuclear power plants would be useless, because to acquire fuel, we would have to be dependent on the U.S. and they could set dozens of conditions,” he said. 
He cited the 1980s experience of U.S. unreliability, when two friendly countries mediated for the transfer of a portion of Iran’s 3.5% enriched uranium in exchange for 20% fuel to meet domestic needs.
“At the time, the officials accepted the exchange, and I said that the other side must deliver the 20% fuel to Bandar Abbas Port,” Ayatollah Khamenei recounted. 
“After conducting the necessary tests, we would carry out the exchange. However, when they saw our precision and insistence, they reneged on their promise and refused to deliver the 20% fuel.”
The outline of the potential deal was reportedly handed to Iran over the weekend.  
Under the proposal, the U.S. would facilitate the building of nuclear power reactors for Iran and negotiate the construction of enrichment facilities managed by a consortium of regional countries, The New York Times wrote. Once Iran began receiving any benefits from those promises, it would have to stop all enrichment in the country, it added.
“The rude and arrogant leaders of America repeatedly demand that we should not have a nuclear program,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
“Our response to the nonsense of the loudmouthed, imprudent American government is clear: Today, the nuts and bolts of our nuclear industry are stronger than ever. 
“And the current rulers in Washington and the Zionists should know that they cannot do a damn thing in this regard,” he added.
Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran has a right to develop technologies without permission from other countries.
“Our message to the Americans is that the Iranian nation’s destiny is in its own hands. Who are you to interfere in whether or not we have enrichment? From what legal standpoint do you presume such a right?”
Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran has achieved a complete nuclear fuel cycle with great efforts, adding the nuclear industry is not just for energy production.
“According to expert and scientific assessments, diverse fields of basic science and engineering, including nuclear physics, energy engineering, materials engineering, as well as sensitive, high-precision technologies in medical equipment, aerospace, and electronic sensors, are either reliant on or effected by nuclear technology.”
The main demand of the Americans is to completely deprive Iran of the nuclear industry and its many benefits for the people, Ayatollah Khamenei said.  
The Leader made the remarks in a televised speech from the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini in southern Tehran as Iran marked the 36th anniversary of the passing of the founder of the Islamic Republic.
Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran, with a growing, stable and authoritative political system born of a great revolution under the leadership of Imam Khomeini, surprised the Western world.
“The leader of our revolution is a great man whose presence in the world is still tangible after thirty-odd years since his passing, and the impact of his revolution is clearly visible to people around the world,” he said.
“The sharp decline in America’s position in the world is due to his presence, and hatred of Zionists is due to his revolution,” he added.
Ayatollah Khamenei touched on “a movement towards aversion to Western values” in the world, saying it is rooted in the revolution created by Imam Khomeini.
“The Islamic Revolution of Iran surprised the Western world. They did not think that a single cleric, without equipment and financial resources, could lead a nation into battle,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
“They did not believe that this revolution and this Imam would be able to sweep away the Americans and the Zionists, who had dominated everything in Iran for years, and would be able to expel them from the country.”
Ayatollah Khamenei touched on all types of conspiracies against the Islamic Revolution which, he said, have no precedent in any of the known revolutions in the world.
He said the Islamic Republic has withstood all conspiracies, designs, and hostilities.
“Perhaps if we count, more than a thousand conspiracies were thwarted by the Islamic Republic, and some were also responded,” the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said.
He said Imam Khomeini protected the Islamic Revolution from the destructive scourge of emotions. He cited the French Revolution which saw emotions overcome and affect the rational goals of a social uprising.
“The result is that when emotions subside, the direction of movement for which the revolution was created changes,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
The rationality of Imam Khomenei manifested in his two fundamental pillars, namely Velayat-e Faqih or the guardianship of the jurisprudent and national independence, the Leader said.
“If it were not for the Guardianship of the Jurisprudent, this revolution would have deviated from the path of religion,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
National independence, on the other hand, does not mean isolation and lack of connection with the world; it means the Iranian nation and the country stand on their own two feet.
“National independence means that the country should not wait for the green or red light from the United States and its ilk; a key element of national independence is the principle of ‘we can’,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
“In the nuclear issue, the U.S. plan is 100% against ‘we can’,” he added.
The Leader also touched on shocking and unbelievable atrocities being committed in Gaza, including at “death traps” where food distribution centers are set up for people to gather and gunned down by Israeli troops. 
“This level of vileness, wickedness, cruelty, and barbarity is truly appalling,” he said. 
Ayatollah Khamenei named the U.S. as a full accomplice in these crimes, saying, “This is precisely why we insist that the U.S. must be expelled from West Asia.”
The Leader said the duty of Islamic governments is extremely grave.
“This is not a time for hesitation, appeasement, neutrality, or silence. If any Islamic government under any pretext supports the Zionist regime, whether by normalizing relations, blocking aid to the people of Palestine, or justifying the Zionists’ crimes, they should know with certainty that an eternal disgrace will remain on their foreheads.”
The Leader warned that divine punishment in the Hereafter for cooperating with the Zionists will be severe.
“Even in this world, nations will not forget such betrayals. And relying on the Zionist regime brings no security for any government because, by definite divine decree, this regime is collapsing. God willing, that day is not far off.”