By Mukesh 
Iran’s supreme leader said on Thursday (April 30, 2026) that the Islamic Republic will protect its “nuclear and missile capabilities” as a national asset, even as U.S. President Donald Trump tries to get a deal on those issues.
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei spoke in a written statement read aloud on Iranian state television, as he has since he took over after the February 28 airstrike that killed his 86-year-old father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.