Being in touch with Americans and talking to them is useless and has absolutely no effect on decreasing their enmity. – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader
His comments Wednesday seemed to be a replay of those statements, but with a strong emphasis on the futility of any diplomacy with the United States, Iran’s longtime foe. The talks also include representatives of China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany.

Addressing the same audience of Iranian diplomats who listened to Rouhani on Monday, Khamenei complained that over the last year, the “Americans’ tone became tougher and more insulting and they raised more demanding expectations.”