‘No war or talks with US’

TEHRAN: Iran’s supreme leader said on Monday that his country will neither go to war nor enter into negotiations with the United States as the Trump administration restores sanctions lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal.

In remarks carried by state television, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said “along with sanctions, Americans have recently raised two more options, war and talks... War will not happen and we will not enter talks.’’

President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers in May and last week the US began restoring sanctions, exacerbating a financial crisis in Iran that has sent its currency tumbling. Mr Trump has suggested he would be willing to hold talks with Iranian leaders, but that would be impossible without permission from Mr Khamenei, who has the final say on all major policies.

“Negotiations with the US would definitely harm us and they are forbidden,’’ Mr Khamenei said, adding that the Americans had proven they could not be trusted. “Negotiation with the bullying US means giving it an instrument through which it can add to its hostility,’’ he said. Mr Khamenei meanwhile blamed the monetary crisis on President Hassan Rouhani’s administration, saying it resulted from “management problems unrelated to the sanctions.’’

Also, Iran said it launched a production line for a radar-evading, short-range missile.