The story: In a televised speech, Iran’s supreme leader has reaffirmed that his country’s nuclear program is a necessity for the future—and that it has only peaceful purposes. While Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed support for Iran’s nuclear negotiators, “who are working for the sanctions to be lifted,” he notably criticized their predecessors for not having heeded his guidance. This comes as Iran and the US enter the final stretch in their indirect talks in Vienna to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

The coverage: In a speech on Feb. 17, Khamenei addressed Iran’s western adversaries, saying...