WW3 fears as Iran rejects nuclear weapons deal with ‘rude & arrogant’ Trump | World | News

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei launched a blistering attack on the US on Wednesday, accusing Donald Trump and his administration of being “rude” and “arrogant”. His comments came as he effectively rejected a revised nuclear deal put forward by the White House, which would allow Tehran to continue low-level uranium enrichment.

Iran’s Supreme Leader argued that abandoning uranium enrichment was “100%” against the country’s interests. “The proposal that the Americans have presented is 100% against our interests,” he thundered in a televised speech.

“The rude and arrogant leaders of America repeatedly demand that we should not have a nuclear programme.

“Who are you to decide whether Iran should have enrichment?”

Trump ripped up a previous deal with Iran brokered by former President Obama during his first term.

The US President criticised the JCPOA’s sunset clauses, sanctions relief, and failure to address Iran’s ballistic missile programme and regional malign influence.

The new Trump proposal was submitted Saturday by White House special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

It would allow Iran to continue enriching uranium domestically, but only for civilian use.

Tehran will also have to temporarily reduce its enrichment concentration to 3% — well below weapons-grade levels of 90%.

Trump is determined to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon that could destabilise the region even more and trigger a nuclear arms race.

A nuclear Iran would also pose existential threat to Israel, which continues to be attacked by Tehran’s proxies in the Middle East.

The Ayatollah said uranium enrichment was key to the country’s nuclear programme and its ability to be self-reliant.

“If we had 100 nuclear power plants while not having enrichment, they are not usable for us,” he added.

“If we do not have enrichment, then we should extend our hand [begging] to the US.”