Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that negotiations with the United States are confined only to Tehran’s nuclear program issue, and any further cooperation with Washington in the Middle East is impossible.

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MOSCOW (Sputnik)Iran’s negotiations with the United States are confined only to Tehran’s nuclear program issue, and any further cooperation with Washington in the Middle East is impossible, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said when addressing the nation in the city of Mashad.

“Iran and the US have opposite views on regional issues. We want security and calm in the region, but the arrogant powers led by the America pursue the policy of sowing insecurity in the region, which is quite the opposite of our goals,” Khamenei said as quoted by Press TV.

Meanwhile, the crowd was shouting anti-US slogans.

When commenting on talks between Tehran and the P5+1 group of international mediators on the Iranian nuclear program, Khamenei said that anti-Iran sanctions lifting should be an immediate result of the negotiations.

Although the leader argued that the nuclear deal is possible, he added that the Iranian nation would resist Washington’s “bullying” approach and would never accept what US’ government wants to impose by force.

“They [the Americans] say [to Iranian negotiators] ‘you come here and listen to what we say and implement them word for word’. But our nation will resist against it and will never accept this,” Press TV quoted the leader as saying.

Tehran has been a target of sanctions imposed by the United States, the UN Security Council, as well as the European Union, and several other countries over the allegations that Iran is trying to produce nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian program. Iranian government has repeatedly denied such allegations, stating that Tehran’s nuclear activities are aimed purely at meeting the country’s growing energy needs.

Tehran is currently in talks with the P5+1 group of international mediators comprising Russia, the United States, China, France, the United Kingdom and Germany, in an attempt to find a comprehensive deal, which would satisfy all sides.

The next round of talks will begin in the Swiss city of Lausanne on March 26, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.