TEHRAN, Iran

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected on Wednesday US calls to halt nuclear enrichment, saying the process is central to the country’s nuclear program.

The US "can’t do anything" regarding Iran’s nuclear activities, Khamenei said during a ceremony in Tehran marking the 36th anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Iranian leader said Washington's primary demand is for Iran to forgo its nuclear industry entirely and remain dependent on the US for its energy needs.

“Our response to America’s nonsense is clear: they cannot do anything about this,” he said, dismissing US demands for a complete halt to uranium enrichment.

Since last month, Tehran and Washington have engaged in five rounds of indirect nuclear negotiations in Muscat and Rome, mediated by Oman. While both sides have acknowledged some progress, a decisive breakthrough has yet to be achieved.

Complicating the talks is the US insistence that Iran dismantle its uranium enrichment program, a demand that senior Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister and chief negotiator Abbas Araghchi, have labeled “non-negotiable.”

In a social media post on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump reiterated his administration’s stance on Iran's enrichment.

"The AUTOPEN should have stopped Iran a long time ago from 'enriching.' Under our potential Agreement — WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM," he wrote.

His comments came just days after Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi delivered what Araghchi described as “elements of a US proposal” aimed at clinching a nuclear agreement, the details of which remain shrouded in secrecy.

Media reports, however, indicate that the proposal might permit Iran to conduct “limited low-level uranium enrichment” on its own soil for a yet-to-be-determined period.

Adopting a defiant tone, Khamenei emphasized that national independence means “not waiting for a green or red light from the US.”

He described Iran’s nuclear industry as a “foundational industry,” highlighting the country's success in establishing a complete nuclear fuel cycle due to the efforts of Iranian scientists over the years.

Khamenei also called for strengthening the country’s defense capabilities, describing it as “another pillar of national independence.”

Addressing Israel’s ongoing genocidal war in Gaza, he described the assault as “astonishing,” accusing the US of being “complicit” in it.

He also urged Islamic countries to sever ties with Israel, adding that the regime is “in the process of collapse.”