Iran will not co-operate with the US, Khamenei says Published duration 3 June 2016 Related Topics Iran nuclear deal

image copyright AFP image caption Mr Khamenei spoke at event marking Ayatollah Khomeini's death anniversary

Iran's Supreme Leader has said Tehran will not co-operate with the US and UK on regional issues.

In a televised address, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said US aims in the region were "180 degrees opposed to Iran's".

Mr Khamenei accused the US of reneging on the West's nuclear deal with Iran and said trusting them was a "mistake".

The "Great Satan" [US] and "evil" Britain were using "pretexts" like human rights abuses and terrorism to avoid fulfilling their commitments.

Mr Khamenei was speaking at an event commemorating the death anniversary of the revolution's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

His comments come ahead of plans by the UN Security Council to discuss possible air drops of aid to Syrian areas under siege.

Iran has been accused by the US and its allies of interfering in the affairs of Middle Eastern countries, particularly Syria.

Officially Iran denies it has deployed any combat troops in Syria, but it is believed Tehran provides both military and economic support to staunch ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The country was excluded from Syrian peace negotiations in 2014, but was the first to put together a team and commit to attending the UN-backed peace talks in Geneva earlier this year.

Since then the UN envoy to Syria has appealed for international intervention to save the suspended talks, saying a partial truce agreed in February was barely alive.

'Deterrent'

Mr Khamenei has previously accused the US of seeking to undermine Iran's banks.

The landmark deal agreed between Iran and six Western countries last year saw the lifting of crippling economic sanctions in exchange for Tehran restricting its nuclear activities.

However, the US imposed new sanctions on Iranian companies and individuals earlier this year in response to ballistic missile tests carried out despite the deal.

Iran says its missiles are for use solely as a conventional deterrent. It carried out more tests in March.