US nuke proposal against national interest: Iran

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said yesterday a US proposal for a nuclear agreement was against the national interest, amid sharp differences over whether Tehran can continue to enrich uranium.

The longtime foes have held five rounds of talks since April to thrash out a new accord to replace the deal with major powers that US President Donald Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018.

On Saturday, Iran said it had received "elements" of the US proposal through Omani mediators, the details of which have not been publicly disclosed.

"The proposal presented by the Americans is 100 percent against" the ideals of the 1979 Islamic revolution, Khamenei said in a televised speech.

"Independence means not waiting for the green light from America and the likes of America."

Iran's enrichment of uranium has emerged as a major point of contention. Trump said on Monday his administration would not allow "any" enrichment.

Khamenei said enrichment is "key" to Iran's nuclear programme and that the United States "cannot have a say" on the issue.

"If we have 100 nuclear power plants but don't have enrichment, they will be of no use to us," because "nuclear power plants need fuel" to operate, he said.