Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has delivered a stark rebuke of the Trump administration, declaring it "not worthy" of contact or cooperation with the Islamic Republic and firmly rejecting reports that Tehran had reached out to Washington.

"Such a government [the United States] is not worthy of being approached or cooperated with by a government like the Islamic Republic," Khamenei said in a televised speech Thursday night, dismissing claims that Iran had sent messages to the U.S. as a "total lie."

Newsweek has contacted the State Department and Iran's Foreign Ministry for comment.

Why It Matters

The remarks come amid heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S. following a brief but intense conflict with Israel in June. The 12-day war, which included U.S. strikes on

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