Iran's top leader rules out negotiations with U.S.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of negotiations with the United States over the existing mutual thorny issues.

This handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei shows him speaking during a ceremony involving workers in the capital Tehran on April 24, 2019. [File photo: Iranian Supreme Leader's Website / AFP]

"We will not negotiate with the United States as it will be fruitless and a loss," Khamenei was quoted as saying by official IRNA news agency.

The Iranian leader said that negotiations are the "U.S. tactic to complement its pressures policy on Iran."

Iran possesses the "necessary tools" to confront U.S. pressures, he added.

Iranian authorities have stressed that Tehran will not sit for negotiations under Washington's threats or sanction pressures.

Following U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to quit the historic Iran nuclear pact on May 8, the United States reimposed sanctions, which had been lifted under the accord, against Iran and vowed to inflict punishments on nations and institutions that have business links with Iran.

Trump's administration has called for renegotiation of the Iranian 2015 nuclear deal as well as Tehran's developing missile program and its regional role.

On Wednesday, Khamenei also stressed that Iran's defensive power was non-negotiable.