The supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei, announced that in current conditions Iran will not negotiate with the United States on any level.

In his religious teachings session on Tuesday, Khamenei said that due to the US policies against the Islamic Republic, “the country’s officials, the president, and foreign minister and others, said in unison that we will not negotiate with the United States, neither bilaterally nor multilaterally.”

He referred to the US exit from the nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, saying if the Trump administration returns to the deal, the US “can” participate in negotiations between Iran and the five other parties to the deal (China, Russia, France, Germany, and Britain).

“If not, there will be no negotiations on any level between the Islamic Republic officials and the Americans, neither in New York nor anywhere else,” Khamenei added.

Khamenei claimed that the willingness to negotiate by American officials is a “scheme to impose their arrogant demands.”

The leader’s comments come right after the attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities for which the United States blames Iran and has promised to retaliate.

Khamenei continued: “The US government’s policy of maximum pressure on Iran through various sanctions is just threats and nonsense because the current US government believes you can’t force the Islamic Republic to its knees and humble it with politeness and hesitation.”

“The purpose of the United States from its efforts toward negotiation, “is to prove to everyone that maximum pressure works and forces the Islamic Republic officials to come to the negotiation table despite having said otherwise,” Khamenei said.