Srinagar, June 5 -- Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, said on Wednesday that abandoning uranium enrichment was "100 percent" against Tehran's interests, effectively rejecting a key U.S. demand in weeks of tense negotiations over Iran's nuclear program.

The Trump administration over the weekendproposed the outline of a dealthat would seem to allow Iran to continue enriching uranium, which had been a sticking point in talks - but only temporarily. With talks at an impasse, the proposal was seen as a potential concession that could open a path to compromise.

In his first public remarks since the proposal was reported on, Ayatollah Khamenei said that Iran's "response to the U.S. government's nonsense is clear."

"The fir...