By Ahmet Dursun, Mohammad Kara Maryam and Mohammad Sio
ISTANBUL (AA) – Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Sunday disputes between Tehran and Washington are “insoluble,” vowing that Iran “will not subdue” to the US.
“Enemies have failed to weaken Iran through war,” Khamenei said in statements carried by state media.
He said there were “attempts to create division inside Iran,” without specifying the nature of these attempts or who was behind them.
Responding to President Donald Trump’s calls for Iran to “surrender,” Khamenei said the Iranian people “are deeply offended by such a great insult and will stand with all its strength against those who harbor such a false expectation.”
Trump had urged Tehran in June to agree to “unconditional surrender” to US demands, according to media reports.
Facing internal questions over Tehran’s refusal to hold direct nuclear negotiations with Washington, Khamenei called the disputes “insoluble”, adding that those who advocate for direct talks with the US are “shallow-minded.”
He attributed the prolonged rift with the US to what he described as Washington’s “aggressive posture.”
Khamenei said “national unity” within Iran has deepened and strengthened in response to “US and Israeli aggression,” and he emphasized the need to maintain that unity.
Tensions escalated in June when Israel launched a surprise attack on Tehran on June 13, targeting military, nuclear, and civilian sites as well as senior commanders and nuclear scientists.
Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes, while the US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities. The 12-day conflict ended under a US-brokered ceasefire on June 24.