30 Minutes, 3 Warnings: As US-Iran Negotiations Get Started, Khamenei Attacks Trump

Iran and the United States are currently in Geneva for the second round of indirect nuclear negotiations. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s scathing comments diverted focus from the diplomatic efforts as both sides attempt to ease tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program. 

US President Donald Trump stated prior to the meeting that he thought Iran was interested in coming to a deal. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, has recently made remarks that have a different tone.

Khamenei attacked US President Donald Trump, criticized US military might, and issued a warning about Washington’s expanding military presence close to Iran in three posts on X in a row.

Referring to Trump’s earlier remarks about US pressure on Iran, Khamenei said, “The US President has said that for 47 years, the United States hasn’t been able to eliminate the Islamic Republic. That is a good confession. I say, ‘You, too, will not be able to do this.'” 

He then questioned US military dominance, “The US President keeps saying that they have the strongest military force in the world. The strongest military force in the world may at times be struck so hard that it cannot get up again.”

In a third warning referencing American naval deployments, he added, “The Americans constantly say that they’ve sent a warship toward Iran. Of course, a warship is a dangerous piece of military hardware. However, more dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea.”

The Geneva talks are the second round of indirect negotiations to resolve disagreements over Iran’s nuclear program.

Two aircraft carriers are part of the US military buildup that Trump has authorized. The USS Abraham Lincoln was seen close to Iran in satellite photos. The largest warship in the world, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has also reportedly been sent and may reach the Middle East in a few weeks.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has retaliated by holding naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international oil shipping route.

Badr Albusaidi, the foreign minister of Oman, is mediating the talks. Both Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Washington’s Middle East envoys, took part in previous indirect talks in Oman. According to Trump, he will continue to be “indirectly” involved.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is leading Iran’s delegation, stated that he went to Geneva in order to “achieve a fair and equitable deal.”