"During the time, they did everything they could. They conspired against the institutions emanating from the revolution, especially the essence of the Islamic Republic, but of course we did everything we could too and in many cases put the opponent on the ropes," the Leader said in a meeting with university students in Tehran Sunday.
The meeting came ahead of the 40th anniversary of the US embassy takeover in Tehran by Iranian students who feared a plot was in the making at the compound to overthrow the nascent Islamic Republic.
Ayatollah Khamenei denounced the "arrogant and imperial habit" of the Americans, saying they think world leaders have to stoop for negotiation with the United States.
"For years, they have been pushing for talks with Iranian officials, but the Islamic Republic refuses them," the Leader said.
"This is too hard to bear for the enemies of the nation, because it proves to the world that there is a state in the world that does not accept America's occupying power and international dictatorship and does not brook bullying," he added.
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei underlined the need for a ban on negotiation with the US, saying it is one of the ways to block American infiltration.
"A repeated ban on negotiation with the United States is one of the important means to block their infiltration into our dear Iran," the Leader said.
"This prohibition has a strong logic: it will block the way of the enemy's infiltration, display the Islamic Republic's impressiveness to the world, and shatter America's false aura before the world," the Leader added.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei meets with a group of students in Tehran on November 3, 2019. (Photo by Khamenei.ir)
Ayatollah Khamenei said negotiation with Washington is "really futile", because the real aim of US leaders is "to bring the Islamic Republic to its knees and tell the world that maximum pressure and sanctions finally yielded results."
"Some who see negotiating with the US as the solution to problems are a hundred percent wrong. Nothing will come out of negotiation with the Americans, because they will certainly and definitely not make any concessions."
Ayatollah Khamenei said had Iranian officials been "naive to sit down for negotiations, there would have been nothing less of pressure and sanctions today, but the way for formally raising new demands and imposing new conditions would have opened."
"Today, by the grace of God and thanks to the efforts of our youths, we have precision missiles with a range of 2,000 kilometers that can hit any target with a margin of error of just one meter," the Leader said.
"If we had gone to negotiations, the Americans would have expected the missiles to be included too. For example, they would have asked that the Iranian missiles should have a maximum range of 150 kilometers. If the officials had accepted it, it would have wrecked the country and if not, the status quo would have persisted."
Ayatollah Khamenei cited the "futile negotiations" by Cuba and North Korea with the United States as "a lesson".
"US and North Korean officials mutually exchanged so many pleasantries, but in the end, the Americans did not drop a single boycott and gave no concessions."
The Leader further chided French President Emmanuel Macron for insisting to arrange talks between the United States and Iran.
"The French president, who says a meeting will end all the problems between Tehran and America, is either naive or complicit with America," Ayatollah Khamenei said.
The Leader was referring to Macron's failed efforts to arrange a meeting between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September.
Ayatollah Khamenei said the problem with the United States is that there is no limit to its demands.
"They are currently saying that 'you should not be active in the region, should not help the Resistance Front, should not have a presence in certain countries, and should stop your defense and missile production capability'.
"After these demands, they would say 'you should give up your religious laws and and should not put emphasis on the Islamic hijab. So, America's demands will never end," he said.