Iran's Defense Minister Amir Hatami says U.S. officials' offer of unconditional negotiations with Iran is a "lie".
According to semi-official Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) on Saturday June 8, Hatami characterized the offer as "deceitful".
U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have said recently that they are prepared to hold negotiations with Iran "without any preconditions."
Speaking at the Defense Ministry's strategic council meeting on Saturday, Hatami said "Iran's enemies, particularly the Great Satan America, and the Zionists, seize every opportunity such as explosions in a few ships in Fujairah, UAE, to level accusations against the Islamic Republic of Iran."
He added that "first the Zionists, and then America benefitfrom insecurity in the region."
Hatami, 52, is one of the youngest Iranian army generals, and the first Iranian Defense Minister after more than a decade with a background in the conventional army rather than the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).
