FILE PHOTO: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif speaks to the media in Tbilisi, Georgia, April 18, 2017. REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili/File Photo

ANKARA (Reuters) - Iran will not rein in its influence in the Middle East despite mounting U.S. pressure on Tehran to curb its regional activities, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Qatar’s al Jazeera TV.

“Iran will not change its policies in the region because of U.S. sanctions and threats,” al Jazeera on Monday quoted Zarif as saying.

In May, President Donald Trump exited Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with major powers, saying it failed to address Iran’s ballistic missile program, its nuclear activities beyond 2025 or its role in conflicts in Yemen and Syria.