US 'hiding a dagger behind its back: Iran

TEHRAN (AFP) - Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lashed out at the United States on Tuesday, saying Tehran will reject any talks backed by its arch-foe as Washington is not to be trusted.
Khameneis anti-US salvo raised the possibility that a Washington-backed nuclear fuel deal for a Tehran research reactor may be derailed despite world powers turning up the heat on Iran to accept the UN-brokered offer.
Dismissing US President Barack Obamas series of diplomatic overtures towards Iran, the all-powerful Iranian leader said Washington wanted to negotiate with Tehran but its talks were full of threats.
Every time they have a smile on their face, they are hiding a dagger behind their back, said the countrys top cleric who has the final say on all Iranian national issues.
Iran will not be fooled by the superficial conciliatory tone of the United States, said Khamenei in a speech to students on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the seizure of US embassy in Tehran by students.
This new American president repeatedly sent us oral and written messages to come and change the page... to come and cooperate in solving the problems of the world. We said we will not pre-judge. We will see their action and see what they do about the change, Khamenei said.
But in the past eight months what we have seen is contradictory to what they say. They are telling us to negotiate, but alongside the negotiation there is a threat that if the negotiation does not bear the desired results, then we will do this and we will do that.
We do not want any negotiation, the result of which is predetermined by the United States, he said, adding that Tehran will always pursue its scientific and technological rights and freedom.
Khamenei said that giving the US a veto over the nuclear talks would be like a sheep and wolf relation which the late imam (Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini) has said that we 'do not want.
Khomeini, who led the 1979 Islamic revolution which toppled the US-backed Shah, opposed any dialogue with Washington that was not on an equal footing.
Khameneis comments came as Iran prepared to mark the 30th anniversary of the November 4, 1979 seizure of the US embassy that sparked the rupture of relations with Washington. Islamist students held 52 US diplomats hostage for 444 days.
The commemoration has become one of the cornerstones of the Islamic regime and every year students gather outside the embassy building in central Tehran and shout Death to America and Death to Israel.
In a veiled warning to the Opposition, Khamenei said those with ill-intentions against the regime will not be allowed to throw down the red carpet to the US.