In a televised speech on Wednesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei taunted the United States and the Trump administration over its demand that Iran stop enriching uranium, declaring, “The first word of the US is that Iran should not have a nuclear industry and should rely on the United States. Our response to the US nonsense is clear: they cannot do a damn thing in this matter.”

Khamenei spoke at the mausoleum of Islamic Republic founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran on the 36th anniversary of his death.

On Monday, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, “The AUTOPEN should have stopped Iran a long time ago from ‘enriching.’ Under our potential Agreement — WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM!”

“The rude and arrogant leaders of America repeatedly demand that we should not have a nuclear program. Who are you to decide whether Iran should have an enrichment?” Khamenei jeered.

The Trump administration’s proposal for a nuclear deal was presented by Oman, which is acting as a mediator.

“Why are you interfering?” Khamenei said to the United States. “Whether Iran enriches uranium or not — what does it have to do with you? Who are you?”

Later on Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi echoed on X, “There is no scenario in which we will give up on the patriots who made our dream come true. No enrichment, no deal. No nuclear weapons, we have a deal.”

Iran’s nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, wrote to Khamenei, “I assure [you] that… we will stand against the excessive demands of the United States and other hegemonic powers.”

Meanwhile, Iran’s Defense Minister, Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh, mocked Israel on Wednesday, saying, “Israel does not have the power to threaten Iran. Iran’s strength prevents them from doing so. Those who can actually threaten don’t speak this way. They are incapable.”

Last October, Israel launched an airstrike on Iran that destroyed three of Iran’s Russian-made S-300 missile defense systems. Israel had wiped out the fourth five months before, in April 2024. “The majority of Iran’s air defense was taken out,” a senior Israeli official told Fox News. Amos Hochstein, Middle East advisor to former President Joe Biden, admitted, “Iran is essentially naked” without a missile defense.

In the same airstrike, Israeli warplanes also destroyed radar systems Iran used to guide ballistic missiles. Roughly three weeks before, Iran had fired 181 ballistic missiles at Israel.

Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is not backing down after pharmacy giant CVS has threatened to leave the state over a new state law targeting drug middlemen called pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs.

In an interview with The Daily Wire, Sanders said she would not allow CVS, which owns one of the “Big Three” PBMs called Caremark, to “manipulate and control the market simply so that they keep a few stores in our state open.” 

“It shows where their priorities are,” the governor said over CVS’s response to the law. “They would rather own the PBM than keep their pharmacy open and provide care to the patients they claim to care about. I think it tells us everything that we need to know, that they care more about their bottom line.”

“Look, I’m all for private industry making money, but not on the backs of the people who really need access to care, really need access to some of these specialty drugs that they’re inflating the market on,” Sanders continued. 

The Republican told The Daily Wire that other pharmacies are willing to take CVS’s place if need be.

“We have a number of other pharmacies that I know will be happy to step up and take CVS’s place if they decide to take their ball and go home,” Sanders blasted. 

As highlighted by The Daily Wire last month, CVS said it might have to close all 23 of its pharmacies in Arkansas over the new policy. The company issued similar threats before Sanders signed the bill into law in April.

The law in question is a first-in-the-nation targeting of PBMs, and is set to go into effect in January 2026. It bans PBMs from holding permits for prescription drug sales in Arkansas.

PBMs are supposed to lower drug prices for Americans. They act as middlemen between drug manufacturers, insurance companies, and pharmacies, and negotiate prices.

However, over the last decade, PBMs have consolidated, and now there are just three companies overseeing prescriptions for more than 270 million Americans. They’ve been accused by both Republicans and Democrats of inflating prices for their own benefit and driving small pharmacies out of business. 

“What was happening is you have these pharmaceutical companies, they’re supposed to use PBMs to negotiate better drug prices between the insurance companies and the pharmacies,” Sanders explained. “But what was actually happening is the pharmacies were buying the PBMs and completely controlling and monopolizing the market. We call ’em drug middlemen, because that’s exactly what they are.”

“They’re over-inflating prices and passing that inflation down to the consumer,” she continued. “You had three of the largest PBMs in the country controlling 80% of the pharmaceutical market – complete control allows them to charge more.” 

Sanders also stressed that this law in Arkansas is intended to help small pharmacies keep their doors open. PMBs reportedly pay lowball prices to small independent pharmacies, forcing many to close their doors. 

“We’re optimistic that prices will come down not only in our state, but also that our local pharmacies will be able to keep their doors open, which was another big priority for us, so that people in rural communities don’t lose that access to care,” Sanders said. 

About a month after Sanders signed the Arkansas bill, President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting PBMs. The EO encourages direct consumer purchases, cutting out PBMs, and mandates more pricing transparency.

Sanders said momentum is building across the country to tackle this issue. 

“I think the big thing here is that this isn’t just going to be something that takes place in Arkansas,” she said. “You’re seeing Louisiana look at passing similar legislation, New York, Texas, other states all over the country. It’s not even a Republican or Democrat issue. This is something that I think a lot of governors, as well as this president, are recognizing and actually taking action on something that’s been needed for a long time.” 

Sanders said she’s optimistic that consumers will have more access to prescription drugs and lower prices soon after this law goes into effect in 2026. 

WATCH the Morning Wire interview with Governor Sanders:

Related: Every CVS Pharmacy In Red State Might Close After Crackdown On Drug Middlemen