Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei announced on Tuesday that "there will be no talks with the US at any level” as he apparently sought to end all speculation about a possible meeting between the two countries' presidents at the UN later this month.
Iranian state TV quoted Khamenei as saying this is the position of the entire leadership of the country.
"There will be no talks with the US at any level," he said.
There had been reports about a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, during the upcoming UN General Assembly this month in New York.
But tensions roiling the Gulf have escalated following an attack on two Saudi Aramco oil sites that the US said Iran was responsible for.
According to Khamenei, Washington's policy of maximum pressure on Tehran will fail.
"Iranian officials will never talk to America ... this is part of their (US) policy to put pressure on Iran ... their policy of maximum pressure will fail,” he said.
