Iran will never coordinate with the United States in Syria and other regional conflicts, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in remarks published on his website Sunday.
“We don’t want such a coordination as their main objective is to stop Iran’s presence in the region,” Khamenei said in a transcript from a speech to university students.
Iran and Russia support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s fight against armed rebels and jihadists, including those of the Islamic State (IS) group.
Tehran rejects any coordination with the US-led coalition that is also bombing the jihadists in Syria and Iraq.
Khamenei repeated demands for the US to stop interfering in the region and said Washington was still acting aggressively despite last year’s nuclear accord with world powers to end Iran’s isolation.
“Americans are still engaged in hostility against the nation of Iran, be it the Congress or the US administration,” he said.
Iran complains it has not benefited from the nuclear deal since it came into force in January, with international banks still fearful of doing business with Tehran due to remaining US sanctions.
“Those who believe in looking to the West for the progress of the country have lost their minds because wisdom tells us to learn from experience,” Khamenei said. (AFP)
