Intransigence or Camouflage for Concessions? Supreme Leader Khamenei on Iran’s Nuclear Progress

Amid a torrent of wildly conflicting reports on the state of U.S.-Iranian nuclear negotiations in Iranian and international media, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered an address on Iran’s nuclear program while visiting the “Nuclear Achievements” exhibit in Tehran. The complete transcript of Khamenei’s address has yet to be released, but his remarks will doubtlessly contribute to speculation about U.S.-Iranian negotiations and will likely be interpreted either as a sign of Tehran’s intransigence or harsh rhetoric camouflaging Tehran’s concessions to Washington.

• June 11: The Office for the Preservation and Publication of the Works of His Holiness Grand Ayatollah Khamenei released excerpts of the supreme leader’s remarks at the “Nuclear Achievements” exhibit:
  • “In the past years – those of you who have more experience in the nuclear field know what I mean – our counterparts and adversaries have made many promises in various fields, this being governments with which we were negotiating” or the International Atomic Energy Agency, “but failed to deliver upon their promises. Numerous times. Unrealizable promises,” which he said led to distrust. “One of our achievements during this 20-year challenge is that we understood that we can’t trust their promises. This is no mean achievement. This is important. We have been harmed by our misplaced trust. The nation and the authorities should know when to trust others and when not to. This truly is important. In the course of the past 20 years, we finally found out who is trustworthy and who is not.”
  • “The nuclear industry is one of the fundamental and important components of state power, which enhances the credibility and power of the state … This is why the enemy is focused on the nuclear energy” of Iran.
  • Iran’s nuclear achievements were reached “under the sanctions regime and under threat. Our scientists were under constant threat. Some were assassinated and others were threatened with assassination, but progress was achieved regardless of the threats … The bullies, our adversaries, made demands beyond” the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. “They are bullying us: ‘Don’t do this, don’t do that! Don’t do anything underground’ … Why are you afraid of us having installations in impenetrable locations?”
• June 11: Nour News Agency, a mouthpiece of the Supreme National Security Council, released more quotes from Khamenei’s address:
  • Commenting on Western concerns about Iran developing nuclear weapons, Khamenei reportedly said: “They know we are not pursuing nuclear weapons. Over the past couple of months, the intelligence community in the United States has on several occasions admitted there is no sign of Iran moving toward building a nuclear weapon … Had it not been for Islam, and had we had the will to produce nuclear weapons, we would have done it, and the enemies, too, know they could not have prevented us.”
  • In his specific recommendations to the authorities, Khamenei said: “For the time being, the number of students studying nuclear science is very small and must grow tenfold. Apart from solving the specific problems of this academic discipline, the scientists must be utilized and protected … Of course, recruitment efforts must be done with the greatest care … because the enemy is trying to infiltrate and sabotage this field, and we have been dealt several blows by the enemy in the past … Maintaining relations and cooperating with” the International Atomic Energy Agency “within the framework” of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty “is a necessity, but do not accept any obligation beyond the treaty obligations … But I see reports that the agency has not lived up to its obligations.” Khamenei concluded by saying that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure must be preserved.

The views represented herein are the author's or speaker's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of AGSI, its staff, or its board of directors.