Iran said Tuesday there would be no negotiations with the US anytime soon.

“We currently see no prospect of negotiations with America. Iran pays no attention to words; what matters to us is a change of approach and behavior,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said, according to state news agencies.

Abbas’ comments were a blunt reply to President Trump’s statement on Monday, when he predicted that the Islamic Republic’s mullahs wanted to “make a deal” with him over their nuclear program.

“I really believe that Iran would like to make a deal, and I think that’s very smart of them, and I think that’s a possibility to happen,” he said from Japan.

The president withdrew the US last year from a 2015 international nuke deal with Tehran, and is ratcheting up sanctions in efforts to strangle Iran’s economy by ending its international sales of crude oil.

Trump also said the US was not looking for regime change in Iran, adding that “we are looking for no nuclear weapons.”

Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri said Tuesday the country was not allowed to pursue the development of nuclear weapons as this was banned by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s highest authority.

Tensions have risen between Iran and the US since Washington deployed a carrier strike group and bombers and announced plans to deploy 1,500 troops to the Middle East, prompting fears of a conflict.

With Reuters