TEHRAN - Leader of the Islamic Revolution on Wednesday resoundingly dismissed U.S. proposals that Iran should stop all uranium enrichment activities, saying enrichment is the key to Iran’s nuclear industry.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the remarks as Iran is marking the 36th anniversary of the passing of Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic.

“The first word of the U.S. is that Iran should not have a nuclear industry and should rely on the United States,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini.

“Our response to America’s nonsense is clear: they cannot do a damn thing in this matter,” the Leader said, asking, “Why do you interfere that Iran have enrichment or not. It is not your business.”

The Leader’s remarks came in response to President Donald Trump administration’s proposals that Iran should not be allowed "any enrichment of uranium."

Highlighting the importance of nuclear industry, the Leader said, thanks to considerable efforts, Iran has achieved a “complete nuclear fuel cycle”.

Noting that the nuclear industry is not limited to energy production, he said it is a “foundational industry” that various scientific fields are influenced by it.

The Leader said the foes wish to deprive Iran of this significant industry.

“Uranium enrichment is the key issue in the nuclear matter, and that’s exactly what our adversaries have focused on.”

The United States has been claiming that Iran can import nuclear fuel for its reactors. However, the Leader said the United States is not trustworthy, saying the U.S. refused to sell 20-percent enriched uranium to Iran to power its medical reactor in the 2000s.

“In the 2000s, we experienced firsthand how unreliable the U.S. was when it came to supplying 20% enriched fuel,” Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out, indirectly referring to Iran's need to nuclear fuel to power its Tehran medical reactor.

He said, “The core demand of the U.S. is that Iran should not have a nuclear industry and should remain dependent on them. Our response to America’s nonsense is clear: they can’t do a damn thing about it.”