"This peace-loving nation would humiliate any aggressor, regardless of its size and level so that it won't even think of aggression again," Khamenei was quoted as saying by state media during a visit to the central city of Yazd.

The United States has not ruled out military action against Iran over its nuclear programme, which it suspects could be diverted to building atomic weapons.

Tehran insists however that the programme is aimed solely at generating energy for a growing population and a US intelligence report published last year said it had halted a nuclear weapons programme in 2003.

"No one can trace the slightest sign of warmonger tendencies in this nation and its elected management," Khamenei said during a visit to the city's armed forces.

On Thursday, Khamenei said Iran saw "no benefit" in resuming ties with the United States at the moment and vowed that the Islamic republic would not halt sensitive nuclear work as demanded by the West.

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