At an international conference in Tehran, top Iranian officials said they were eager to make a deal with Trump but that they wouldn’t buckle under pressure.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said U.S. demands that Tehran stop enriching uranium are "excessive and outrageous", state media reported, voicing doubts whether talks on a new nuclear deal will succeed.

As American bombers withdraw from the region and threats of a military strike ease, the Iranian leader hardened his stance, vowing that Tehran will pursue its nuclear enrichment program "without anyone's permission.