Khamenei warns against negotiating with Washington
TEHRAN
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Feb. 7 urged his government not to negotiate with the United States, saying it would be "unwise."
"You should not negotiate with such a government, it is unwise, it is not intelligent, it is not honourable to negotiate," Khamenei said, adding the United States had previously "ruined, violated, and tore up" a 2015 nuclear deal.
The warning came days after U.S. President Donald Trump called for a "verified nuclear peace agreement" with Iran, adding that it "cannot have a nuclear weapon."
Iran insists its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes and denies any intention to develop atomic weapons.
"We must understand this correctly: they should not pretend that if we sit down at the negotiating table with that government [the US administration], problems will be solved," Khamenei said during a meeting with army commanders.
"No problem will be solved by negotiating with America," he said, citing previous "experience."
Trump on Feb. 4 reinstated his "maximum pressure" policy against Iran over allegations the country is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
During the meeting, Khamenei warned Iran would take reciprocal measures if the US threatened or acted against Iran.
"If they threaten us, we will threaten them. If they carry out this threat, we will carry out our threat. If they attack the security of our nation, we will attack their security without hesitation," said Khamenei.
