Cooperation between Iran and the United States is not possible as long as Washington continues to support Israel and to maintain military bases and interfere in the Middle East region, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with students in Tehran, Iran, November 3, 2025. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters
Cooperation between Iran and the United States is not possible as long as Washington continues to support Israel and to maintain military bases and interfere in the Middle East region, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday.
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.
Reporting by Parisa Hafezi
Indirect talks between the United States and Iran have taken place in Oman, raising hopes of renewed diplomacy. US President Donald Trump described the discussions as “very good,” while Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi signaled readiness to reach a quick agreement.
Iran will strike U.S. bases in the Middle East if it is attacked by U.S. forces that have massed in the region, its foreign minister said on Saturday, insisting that this should not be seen as an attack on the countries hosting them.
The United States and Iran on Friday were trying to reach a diplomatic solution to disputes between the two nations that have led to heightened tensions in the Middle East, and warnings from President Donald Trump that military options are at his disposal.
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