Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, said that negotiating with the US government would not serve Iran's national interests in the current situation.

In a highly anticipated televised speech on September 23, he argued that it would not benefit the country, avert any harm, and would instead lead to "great and irreparable damage."

His comments were made as Iran's President, Masoud Pezeshkian, was en route to New York to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. His presence in the US and his delegation had fuelled speculation about potential talks with American officials over the nuclear standoff.

Khamenei said such negotiations would be "useless" for Iran, as the US had already predetermined the outcome. He claimed that the US wants to negotiate for the sole purpose of shutting down Iran's nuclear activities and uranium enrichment.

“That's not negotiation, that's dictation; that's imposition,” he said, stressing Iran will continue its enrichment programme.

The cleric also accused the US of using threats, stating that if Iran were to accept negotiations under these conditions, it would signal that the country is susceptible to threats and would immediately surrender.

He warned that this "threat-vulnerability," if established, would have no end, forcing Iran to retreat in the face of enemy threats continuously.

"No honourable nation would agree to negotiations accompanied by threats,” he said, calling talks with the US "a sheer dead end."

The seemingly inflexible 86-year-old clerical leader of the Islamic Republic has said discussions with Western countries previously were also "pointless," including the original Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), however, it did not stop previous Reformist leaders including former President Hassan Rouhani's administration engaging with Western interlocutors. 

Khamenei's comments follow Donald Trump's speech at the UN on September 23, where he targeted Iran in his hour-long speech, while also singling out the London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Islamic Sharia law, windmills, and the escalator not working in the UN building. 

Iran had held several rounds of negotiations with the US earlier this year, but talks were halted after Israel attacked Iran in June, in which the US was also involved.

Meanwhile, officials from the E3 group (France, Germany, and the UK) are pressuring Iran to resume full cooperation with the IAEA, which was suspended following the June war, and restart negotiations with the US, threatening to trigger the return of international sanctions.

The three European countries considered Iran's recent agreement with the IAEA in Cairo insufficient and demanded practical steps from Tehran to prevent the re-imposition of sanctions.

In breakout rooms in the UN building in New York, Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, reportedly had an unproductive meeting with European officials.

He also met at least twice with the Director General of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, which was caught on camera. .