Response to Khamenei; White House Reiterates Trump's Warning About Agreement or Military Action

The White House, hours after the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic opposed the U.S. President's proposal for negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear program, reminded that Tehran is faced with one of two options: military action or an agreement. The spokesperson for the National Security Council of the White House stated on Saturday evening, March 9, that as Donald Trump has explicitly stated, there are two options for dealing with Iran: military action or an agreement. Brian Hughes added, "We hope that the Iranian regime prioritizes its people and best interests over terrorism." On Saturday evening, Ali Khamenei once again opposed negotiations and the new U.S. proposal, stating, "The new expectations will certainly not be met by Iran." Donald Trump reiterated his call for negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear program on Friday, stating that he had sent a letter to Ali Khamenei. He also mentioned in another conversation with reporters that "very, very soon things will happen" regarding Iran, "interesting days are ahead," and "we have reached the final moves." Abbas Araqchi, Iran's Foreign Minister, briefly stated on Saturday, "The letter has not yet arrived." Trump has repeatedly stated that he will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons but prefers negotiations for a valid and verifiable nuclear agreement over military action. In mid-February, Trump signed a presidential memorandum to resume maximum pressure on Iran but expressed hope that it would not be necessary to implement this memorandum and that an agreement would be reached with Tehran. Before Khamenei's speech, Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, stated in his presence, "We should not back down from any threats made by enemies; we are capable of overcoming all problems." He had said the previous week that he personally supported negotiations with the U.S. and believed that dialogue with the United States would solve problems, but after Khamenei's prohibition, he abandoned this view. Khamenei also criticized European powers in his speech on Saturday, calling them "shameless" for their criticisms of Iran's nuclear program. He mentioned that discussions might occur in some areas without providing details. The European Union has repeatedly criticized the expansion of Iran's nuclear program, and in a recent statement on March 6, it reiterated its serious opposition to the Islamic Republic's acquisition of nuclear weapons. The statement noted a "significant increase in the speed and purity of uranium enrichment and its accumulation in Iran," declaring that the Islamic Republic has significantly deviated from its JCPOA commitments and has achieved knowledge that is "irreversible." The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic also rejected a message from Donald Trump sent by the then Prime Minister of Japan in 2019 and has since maintained his position against negotiations with the U.S. However, there are speculations about Moscow's efforts to mediate in resolving the Islamic Republic's nuclear issue between Iran and the U.S., which officials from Moscow and Washington have confirmed. In recent weeks, following Khamenei's two explicit rejections of negotiations with the U.S., the value of Iran's national currency has continued its downward trend. Before Khamenei's previous speech on February 8, the price of each U.S. dollar in the Iranian currency market was close to 85,000 tomans, and immediately after, it surged to nearly 95,000 tomans. However, in recent days, the dollar was traded for less than 90,000 tomans, but on Saturday, following the Supreme Leader's second speech, it has now risen above 91,000 tomans.