Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday that his country will neither wage a war against the US nor conduct negotiations with it.
Khamenei's remarks came in response to statements from US President Donald Trump regarding entering into a dialogue to reach a new agreement with Tehran, according to Press TV.
"Let me address the people on the matter in a few words: There will be no war, nor will we negotiate with the US," the Iranian leader said.
Slamming Washington over its withdrawal from the landmark nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Khamenei said: "Why should we sit for negotiations with a bullying (and) cheating regime, which negotiates like this?"
Trump pulled the US out of the Iran nuclear agreement in May and imposed economic sanctions on Tehran last Tuesday.
Under the 2015 deal, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear programme in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against it.
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Elaborating on Trump's offer of direct talks with Iranian officials, Khamenei said: "... They act upon a threadbare and worthless political game in this regard. One of them says (they want negotiations with Iran) without any preconditions, the other one sets preconditions".
The Iranian leader also discussed the present Iranian economic crisis which has seen its currency, the rial, lose more than half of its value against the US dollar since April and the price of gold (coin) more than double in recent weeks.
Khamenei attributed the Iranian economic crisis to internal factors such as poor government management, rather than to the US sanctions, saying that while the sanctions can play a part, the "domestic factors are stronger role players".
"Scholars and many officials believe that the problem is internal. The problem of gold coin and foreign currency unfolded due to negligence and mismanagement," he said.
"If actions are taken more efficiently, more prudently, more swiftly and more firmly, sanctions cannot have much effect and they can be resisted," Khamenei added.
The economic crisis has recently sparked popular protests in several Iranian cities, which have, at times, led to criticism of the Islamic Republic's regime.
--IANS
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