Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday expressed scepticism about direct negotiations with the United States, the country's arch-enemy, about its nuclear programme, the Mehr news agency reported.
"You (US) aim your weapons against us and then offer negotiations ... does this make sense? ... the Iranian nation will not be disconcerted by such offers," said Khamenei, who, according to Iran's constitution, has the final say in all political affairs.
He added the US was turning to negotiations with Iran only now, after all its policies in the Middle East had failed.
The Iranian leader further said that those officials who were glad about the US offer were "naive," without giving further details.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi have cautiously declared their readiness to an offer by US Vice President Joe Biden for direct negotiations, mainly to be focused on Iran's nuclear programmes.
Although Iran is still insisting that it would not give up its right to pursue a nuclear programme, it has said is ready to make some concessions on other details, mainly because sanctions by the US and European Union have plunged the county into a economic crisis.