"Iran cannot be eradicated": As nuclear negotiations with the United States commence in Geneva, Khamenei challenges Trump.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, challenged US President Donald Trump to destroy Iran as the second round of indirect nuclear talks between the US and Iran began in Geneva. He said that the "strongest military force in the world" could be hit "so hard that it cannot get up again."

President Trump had voiced optimism ahead of the negotiations, stating that he thought Iran was interested in coming to an agreement. But Khamenei took a very different stance, criticizing American military might and cautioning Washington about its expanding military presence close to Iran in four consecutive posts on X.

"The US President keeps saying that they have the strongest military force in the world," Khamenei wrote in a series of posts on X. Sometimes the world's most powerful military might be hit so severely that it is unable to recover.

The Iranian leader said that US military hardware is still vulnerable in response to increased US naval deployments in the area. "The Americans claim to have sent a warship toward Iran on a regular basis. A warship is undoubtedly a risky piece of military equipment. "But the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea is more dangerous than that warship," he stated.

Khamenei wrote, "The US President has said that for 47 years, the United States hasn't been able to eliminate the Islamic Republic," in reference to Trump's previous statements regarding persistent US pressure on Tehran. It's a good confession. "You, too, will not be able to do this," I say.

He added that raw power does not equate to invincibility, casting doubt on US military supremacy. "The president of the United States frequently asserts that their military is the most powerful in the world. Khamenei cautioned that the world's most powerful military might occasionally be hit so severely that it is unable to recover.

The comments were made as U.S. and Iranian officials began a fresh round of indirect negotiations to end the two countries' protracted nuclear conflict.

Senior American officials, including US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are expected to meet with Iranian officials in Geneva today, CNN reported. Intermediaries are helping the two sides communicate during the indirect talks.

Trump had earlier stated that he would participate "indirectly" in Tuesday's crucial nuclear negotiations. He implied that Tehran might be more open to negotiations now that it had learned from previous conflicts.

Trump remarked, "I don't think they want the consequences of not making a deal," citing US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in the past. "Instead of sending the B-2s in to destroy their nuclear potential, we could have reached an agreement. We also needed to send the B-2s. I'm hoping they'll be more sensible.

Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, hosted the first round of these indirect negotiations on February 6. Strict procedures were followed during that meeting to prevent direct communication between Iranian and American officials. According to reports, American-flag SUVs didn't arrive at the palace venue until after Iranian officials seemed to have left. However, it was still unclear what the precise plans and structure for Tuesday's round of negotiations would be.