Mohammad Mokhber, a senior aide to the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has declared that Iran will not enter into negotiations with the United States, citing deep mistrust between the two nations.
Speaking on state television on Wednesday, Mokhber said Tehran sees no basis for dialogue with Washington and insisted that the country is prepared to sustain the ongoing conflict in the Middle East for as long as necessary.
“We will not go into any negotiation with the US. The Americans cannot be trusted. We can continue the war as long as we want,” Mokhber stated.
His remarks come amid heightened tensions following the reported killing of Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli strikes. Iranian authorities have announced a three-day state funeral in honor of the late leader.
According to the official news agency IRNA, mourners will be allowed to pay their respects beginning at 10:00 p.m. (1830 GMT) at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque in Tehran. The announcement was made in a statement from the Islamic Development Coordination Council.
Khamenei, who was 86 at the time of his reported death, is expected to be laid to rest in his hometown of Mashhad in northeastern Iran.
The developments signal a further escalation in tensions between Iran and the United States, with diplomatic channels appearing increasingly unlikely in the near term.
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