Iran will not engage in US talks unless sanctions lifted

Iran's Intelligence Minister said the Middle Eastern nation will only engage in talks with the United States if sanctions are lifted and the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gives his approval, according to reports from Iranian state media on Thursday,

Khamenei had ruled out negotiations with the US back in May, having previously stated in 2013 that the US is "not trustworthy, is self-important, and breaks its promises".

In November, Washington slapped Tehran with sanctions, many of which are targeted at its lucrative crude oil exports, after the US bowed out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six other world powers that limited Iran's nuclear programme to a restricted stockpile of 3.67% enriched uranium, well below the 90% enrichment required for 'weapons grade' uranium.

However, Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium breached the limits imposed by the 2015 deal earlier this week, with Tehran stating that it no longer financially benefits from the deal as European signatories Britain, France and Germany have failed to offset the effect of US sanctions.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani also announced on Wednesday that it intends to exceed the 3.67% enrichment level set by the deal.

As ever, Trump took to Twitter to respond, writing: "Be careful with the threats, Iran. They can come back to bite you like nobody has been bitten before!"

Separately on Thursday, Iran's Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi stated that the Trump administration had aborted a military strike against his country last month because they were "scared of Iran’s military power".

The aborted strike followed Iran’s downing of an unmanned US surveillance drone over the Strait of Hormuz on June 20, with the Islamic Kingdom's officials claiming that the drone had strayed into Iranian airspace.

The US has also moved a group of aircraft carriers, carrying bombers and fighter jets, to the Persian Gulf as tensions continue to escalate.

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