Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei declared that the nation will not negotiate under US pressure, asserting that Washington aims to impose its expectations. Khamenei emphasized that Iran will not accept new demands related to its defense capabilities or international influence.

Iranian state media immediately picked up on Trump's acknowledgment, given in excerpts from a Fox Business News interview aired on Friday, though there was no confirmation from Khamenei's office that any letter had been received.

The reduction in funding for Iranian groups, based largely outside Iran, is affecting the work of human rights monitors, news outlets and civic activists.

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that future talks between Russia and the United States would include discussions on Iran's nuclear programme, a subject it said had been "touched upon" in an initial round of U.