Iran’s Supreme Leader on Thursday rejected a U.S. offer to negotiate one-on-one on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, ruling out such contacts so long as Washington keeps up its threats against the Islamic Republic.

“I am not a diplomat but a revolutionary and I speak frankly,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told air force commanders in remarks published on his website and quoted by AFP. “You (Americans) are pointing the gun at Iran and say either negotiate or we will shoot.”

“Some rejoice at the offer of negotiations … (but) negotiations will not solve anything,” he said, adding that those in Iran who prefer to risk “American domination” by negotiating with Washington would be dealt with.

Khamenei has the final say on all key issues in the Islamic Republic, including Iran’s sensitive nuclear activities and foreign policy.

His stance appeared to contradict that of Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, who said on Monday that he detected signs the United States was rethinking its approach towards Tehran.

Khamenei said, according to AFP, “Iran will not accept to negotiate with he who threatens us with pressure,” in reference to a list sanctions adopted by Washington to coerce Iran into curbing its nuclear program.

“The offer of talks is meaningful when the other side shows goodwill,” he said.

Last week, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden offered direct talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program. He also warned Iran that opportunities for diplomacy over its disputed nuclear program were not unlimited.

Khamenei’s remarks come at a time when Tehran and six world powers are preparing to resume stalled talks over Iran’s nuclear program in the Kazakh city of Almaty on February 26.

Iran and the P5+1 group of the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany held three rounds of talks last year, the last of which ended in stalemate in June in Moscow.

Calls to roll back its atomic work were rebuffed by Tehran, which demanded world powers scale back sanctions which have caused pain for its struggling economy.

“Does imposing, in your own words, crippling sanctions show goodwill or hostility?” Khamenei said on Thursday, responding to Biden’s offer of bilateral talks.

In addition to the pressure from Western nations, Iran is also being pressured by the UN’s atomic watchdog agency to allow broader access to its nuclear facilities in a bid to resolve outstanding issues over the Islamic Republic’s past atomic activities.

A team from the agency is expected in Tehran on February 13.