Iran's Supreme Leader says cooperation with U.S. not possible while it backs Israel

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says that Tehran will not cooperate with Washington as it continues to support Israel, maintain military bases and interfere in the Middle East Region.

Ali Khamenei speaking on Monday at a meeting with students in Tehran, the Supreme leader said that the U.S. request for cooperation would be examined at a later date. 

Khamenei's comments came as President Donald Trump's administration seeks to increase pressure on Iran.

"The Americans sometimes say they would like to cooperate with Iran. Cooperation with Iran is not possible as long as the U.S. continues to support the accursed Zionist regime, maintains military bases, and interferes in the region," Khamenei said, according to state media.

Trump said in October that the U.S. is prepared to make a deal with Iran when Tehran is ready to do so, saying: "The hand of friendship and cooperation [with Iran] is open."

The two countries held five rounds of nuclear talks, prior to a 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June, which Washington joined by striking key Iranian nuclear sites.

Talks between the two sides have faced major stumbling blocks such as the issue of uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, which Western powers want to bring down to zero to minimise any risk of weaponisation, a plan that Tehran has rejected.

Iran's foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi slammed President Trump's order for the U.S. to resume nuclear testing. 

Aragchi said America was a "a nuclear-armed bully" and called it a "blatant violation of international law". 

"The world must unite to hold the U.S. accountable for normalizing the proliferation of such heinous weapons." he said. 

Copied