Khamenei decries negotiation with U.S.

TEHRAN – Iran’s supreme leader, spurning what he described as several personal overtures from President Obama, warned Tuesday that negotiating with the United States was “naive and perverted” and said Iranian politicians should not be “deceived” into starting such talks.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Obama has approached him several times through oral and written messages.

In his harshest comments against the Obama administration to date, Khamenei said Tuesday that the United States has ill intentions toward Iran and is not to be trusted.

The remarks came amid wrangling between Iranian officials and representatives of the United States, Russia and France over a U.N.-backed proposal aimed at resolving a protracted dispute over Iran’s nuclear program. Under the deal, Iran would ship much of its low-enriched uranium abroad for processing into fuel for a research reactor in Tehran that produces medical isotopes.

Khamenei made the remarks to an audience during a commemoration of the Nov. 4, 1979, takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

Khamenei urged Iranian representatives to be extremely careful when dealing with the United States.

“Whenever they smile at the officials of the Islamic revolution, when we carefully look at the situation we notice that they are hiding a dagger behind their back,” he said. “They have not changed their intentions.”