Khamenei: Trump administration ‘not worthy’ of contact with Iran

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared Thursday that the Trump administration was “not worthy” of contact or cooperation with the Islamic Republic, AFP reported.

“Such a government (the United States) is not worthy of being approached or cooperated with by a government like the Islamic Republic,” Khamenei was quoted as having said in a televised speech, dismissing reports of Iranian messages to Washington as a “pure lie.”

His remarks came during a state-designated day honoring the Basij forces, the paramilitary wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Khamenei claimed the United States and Israel had failed “to achieve any objectives” in the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June. Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran, joined briefly by US strikes on nuclear facilities. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks, derailing nuclear talks with Washington. A ceasefire has been in place since June 24.

Praising Iran’s “public unity” during the war, Khamenei claimed, “Even those who had differences with the system stood by it. This unity must be preserved and appreciated.” He previously accused Israel of trying to weaken the republic and incite unrest to overthrow the regime.

Since the war, Trump has stated that US strikes obliterated Iran’s nuclear program, but Khamenei has rejected those claims, telling Trump to “keep dreaming.”

The US and Iran held five rounds of nuclear talks prior to the 12-day war in June. Negotiations have since stalled over uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, a central sticking point.

In addition, Iran is livid after the reactivation of the “snapback” sanctions mechanism. The sanctions, reimposed in September, followed failed negotiations between Iran and the E3 countries – Britain, France, and Germany – who triggered the “snapback” mechanism in the 2015 nuclear deal.

Khamenei recently declared that cooperation between Tehran and Washington is impossible so long as the United States continues to support Israel, maintain military bases, and interfere in the region.