The Iranian regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei waves to supporters during a speech marking the 36th anniversary of Ruhollah Khomeini’s death at his mausoleum in southern Tehran, June , 2025

In a forceful and defiant speech marking the anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeini’s death, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei rejected a recent U.S.-mediated nuclear proposal — not as a show of strategic strength, but as a reflection of growing anxiety within the regime. His hoarse voice, aired nationwide, mirrored the fragile state of a government more worried about internal unrest than foreign confrontation.

The proposal, reportedly relayed through Oman, called for Iran to scale back uranium enrichment in exchange for partial sanctions relief. Khamenei dismissed it outright, calling it “100 percent against the principle of ‘we can’.” He argued that any form of compromise would undermine national independence. “We don’t wait for a green or red light from the U.S.,” he said. “Independence is rooted in believing that we can.”

While American and Israeli officials have repeatedly threatened military action to contain Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Khamenei brushed these threats aside. His central message was that external pressure, including airstrikes, cannot topple the Islamic Republic. What truly concerns him is the erosion of internal control — weakening security forces, disillusioned elites, and the risk of a popular uprising.

Addressing Western officials, he declared, “The Zionists and Americans should know they can’t do a damn thing. Who are you to say whether Iran can enrich uranium or not? That’s none of your business.”

Khamenei also criticized Iranian officials who advocate for “rationality,” framing it as a disguise for surrender. “They say be rational, but what they mean is submit to America,” he warned. “True rationality is what Imam Khomeini practiced — the kind that earned us respect.”

He underscored that uranium enrichment is not merely technical, but symbolic of sovereignty. “If we have 100 nuclear power plants but no enrichment, it’s worthless,” he claimed.

Praising the country’s scientific achievements, Khamenei asserted that Iran now possesses the full nuclear fuel cycle — “from the mine to the reactor.” He also defended the country’s thousands of nuclear scientists and students: “Should we abandon them to appease the Americans? That’s what they want — to break our spirit. But they can’t.”

Beyond Iran’s borders, Khamenei claimed that even Western societies are facing ideological collapse, presenting Iran’s model as the rising alternative.In essence, Khamenei’s speech revealed a regime more fearful of domestic instability than foreign attack. His rejection of compromise was aimed less at the U.S. and more at holding together an increasingly fragile base of power at home.

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