Khamenei says Trump 'will not succeed' in destroying Iran, warns US warship in Gulf can be sunk

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday said that US President Donald Trump would not succeed in destroying the Islamic republic, as talks between the two countries began in Geneva.

“In one of his recent speeches, the US president said that for 47 years America has not succeeded in destroying the Islamic republic… I tell you: you will not succeed either,” AFP quoted Khamenei as saying in a speech.

The remarks came as Tehran and Washington kicked off a second round of talks on Tuesday in Geneva.

The first round was held earlier in February, after previous negotiations collapsed during last year’s Iran-Israel war.

The latest round of talks comes after Washington deployed an aircraft carrier group to the Gulf following Iran’s deadly crackdown last month on anti-government protests sparked by economic hardship.

More from World

Iran, US agree on 'guiding principles' in nuclear talks, but deal not imminent, says Iranian foreign minister 'I am considering it': Trump weighs limited strike on Iran as nuclear talks intensify

During his speech, Ali Khamenei warned that the US warship sent to the Gulf could be sunk.

“We constantly hear that they (the United States) have sent a warship toward Iran. A warship is certainly a dangerous weapon, but even more dangerous is the weapon capable of sinking it,” he said.

Khamenei also expressed scepticism about the prospects of negotiations with the United States.

“If there are to be negotiations - because there is no real room for negotiation - determining the outcome of the negotiations in advance is a mistake and madness,” he said, referring to US calls for Iran to abandon its nuclear programme.

Quick Reads

View All

Who are the Kurds, who could lead the next phase of Iran war?

Blue Sparrow: The deadly Israeli missile that killed Iran’s Khamenei

During Iran’s 12-day war with Israel in June, the United States briefly joined the conflict with strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities.

Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium — which had reached 60 per cent purity before the war — remains a major sticking point between Tehran and Washington.

The United States has repeatedly called for zero enrichment and has sought to address Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its support for militant groups in the region — issues that Israel has pressed to include in the talks.

Iran, however, has maintained that its right to enrich uranium is non-negotiable and insisted that discussions focus solely on the nuclear issue.

“The statements of the American president, at times threatening and at times dictating what should and should not be done, reveal a desire to dominate the Iranian nation,” Khamenei said.

With inputs from agencies