Iran does not intend to return to the nuclear deal

When we think of a politician, a globally significant figure, or the leader of a powerful state, we usually imagine a dignified person, free from trivial matters and engaged only in large-scale issues. Until recently, such people were seen as those making important statements to the world, guiding domestic and foreign policy, and delivering influential speeches on international platforms—true leaders who would go down in history. People have grown accustomed to seeing politicians as personalities like Ernesto Che Guevara, who concluded his speech at the UN with “Homeland or death,” Muammar Gaddafi, who threw papers at the moderator behind him, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s address in Geneva, Saddam Hussein’s reaction to his death sentence, Giorgia Meloni’s fiery speeches, or Barack Obama’s announcement of Osama bin Laden’s elimination.

However, change is a fundamental element of life, and over the years, the image of some world leaders has evolved—perhaps due to the impact of the information age. Today, it is common to see verbal exchanges between the leaders of two major powers on social media. This can be especially observed in the case of Iran and the United States. Each side, whether on its own platform or on X, makes brief statements several times a year, competing with the attention-seeking behavior of petty bloggers. This is an unfortunate situation, as their status and position do not match such exchanges. Donald Trump’s behavior is understandable—he has always been that way. The current U.S. president often forgets that he leads the world’s most powerful country, reacting even to a 22-year-old Greta, to journalists who criticize him, or to newspapers that publish unflattering photos. Yet it is much stranger to see Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—who has witnessed eight U.S. presidents since he first became Iran’s president and later its Supreme Leader—descending to such pettiness.

Of course, all sectors must adapt to the times, and using available tools to their fullest is undoubtedly beneficial. However, it is questionable how appropriate it is to endlessly debate on social media whether Iran’s nuclear capability has been destroyed or not. In recent days, the elderly leaders have reignited their disputes over this very issue. In response to Trump’s statements and posts, Ayatollah Khamenei replied on his account on X. Thus, the issue of nuclear policy—crucial to global security—is now being debated between two old men on social media. Let us briefly review the matter.

“Iran’s nuclear capability has been destroyed”

Following the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, U.S. intervention could have once again plunged the region into chaos. After deep strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in Natanz and two other regions, Tehran’s nuclear future was thrown into question. However, soon afterward, satellite imagery showed that, as speculation about possible U.S. attacks intensified, nearly half a ton of highly enriched uranium had already been removed from these sites. International observers and experts began to assert that Iran had not lost its uranium stockpile and still retained the potential to develop a nuclear bomb. Tehran itself tacitly confirmed this. Consequently, it became clear that Iran’s nuclear potential had only been temporarily delayed.

Yet Trump, who never admits defeat, refused to accept this reality. At the time, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other members of Trump’s administration relied on repetitive talking points, claiming that “the U.S. has pushed back Iran’s nuclear ambitions by several decades.” Trump reiterated this statement at White House press conferences, international events, media interviews, and on his social media pages. Earlier this October, he repeated the same claim in his speech before the Knesset. In response, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke out. The two elderly leaders had also engaged in a similar war of words following the 12-day conflict in the summer. Their latest online clash was a continuation of those previous disputes.

Khamenei to Trump: Who do you think you are?

During his recent visit to Israel, Trump delivered a speech at the Knesset, stating that after resolving the Hamas issue, he would turn to Iran and pursue a nuclear deal, which he claimed could bring mutual benefits. Yet, as we can see, since returning to power, the current U.S. president has failed to fully resolve any major issue. His actions—from trying to stop Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to attempting to establish peace in Gaza—have all fallen short. His efforts in Ukraine have stalled, and the so-called “crystal peace” in Gaza has already begun to shatter. Following the global summit in Egypt, Israel resumed bombings in the Gaza Strip, dropping thousands of tons of explosives. Ironically, the very nuclear agreement Trump now demands from Iran is the same one he himself withdrew from seven years ago, triggering the current chain of problems.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, well aware of Washington’s fickle and hypocritical policies for over 40 years, has repeatedly said that negotiations with the U.S. are futile. Moreover, before the war with Israel began, Tehran had already softened its stance on the issue. From early this year until June, Iran and the U.S. held five rounds of indirect nuclear talks at various locations. Expectations were low from the start, as representatives from both countries, though under the same roof, spoke through intermediaries in separate rooms—an indication of how distant their relations had become. Ultimately, these efforts proved fruitless. Israel attacked Iran, and with U.S. involvement, any future negotiations came to an end.

Khamenei has now officially rejected entering any new deal. He also dismissed Trump’s claim that Iran’s nuclear potential had been destroyed. Mocking the U.S. president, Khamenei said, “Let him continue to think so and keep dreaming.” In his social media statements, the Ayatollah made further sharp remarks:

“The U.S. president is boasting that Iran’s nuclear industry has been bombed and destroyed. Fine—let him believe that! Who are you to decide which countries can or cannot possess a nuclear industry?” the Iranian leader declared.

Iran formally withdraws from the agreement

In 2015, Iran and several major powers reached a comprehensive Joint Plan of Action that imposed restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions. This was the very nuclear deal that Trump often referred to in his speeches. Through the efforts of then-president Hassan Rouhani and his pragmatic policies, Iran, China, Russia, the U.S., the U.K., France, and Germany signed the agreement aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. However, in 2018, Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the deal and reinstated sanctions, effectively nullifying the agreement. Since then, the fate of the deal between Iran and the world powers has remained uncertain.

Attempts to revive the deal in subsequent years have failed. The summer’s heightened tensions between Iran, Israel, and the U.S. closed off all possibilities for renewed talks. In June, Iran’s parliament passed a law to end cooperation with the IAEA. In response, European countries resorted to the “snapback mechanism” to restore UN sanctions on Iran. Western nations, led by the U.S., are now seeking a new agreement that would guarantee Iran will not acquire nuclear weapons. However, so far, they have gone no further than issuing threats of new sanctions.

It remains unclear how many more years the West will need to understand that sanctions are ineffective against a nation that has endured them for over 40 years. Moreover, Tehran insists that any new negotiations can only begin once the U.S. guarantees a complete halt to military actions. As a result, the process remains frozen at the stage of defining preconditions. Even if talks resume, Iranian officials will likely argue that their nuclear program serves only peaceful purposes and that developing a nuclear bomb is not part of their plan—a claim they will support with a fatwa from the Supreme Leader. Consequently, the prospect of reaching a new nuclear deal with Iran is steadily fading.

By mid-October this year, Iran’s Foreign Ministry officially announced that all provisions of the 2015 agreement—including nuclear restrictions and related mechanisms—had been annulled. The deal, originally designed to cover ten years, was due for renewal at the beginning of October, but Tehran had already rejected an extension. As a result, sanctions were reinstated on September 28. Before that, the UN Security Council, by majority vote, had blocked a resolution proposed by China and Russia to extend the eased sanctions regime for another six months. Soon after, the European Union also reimposed its sanctions against Iran.