Pompeo expressed hope that Tehran would accept negotiations without preconditions

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed his hope that Tehran would respond to his country's call for negotiations without preconditions, while his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif accused Washington of launching an economic war against his country.

In response to a question about his remarks, in which he referred to Tehran's readiness to negotiate its missile program, Pompeo said during a radio interview that this was due to the Iranian leadership.

Pompeo has said that Iran is ready to negotiate its missile program as a result of sanctions, hinting that there is also a possibility to negotiate on the nuclear file.

Iran has renewed its categorical refusal to negotiate its defense capabilities. The head of the Iranian president's office said Iran's defensive military capability was a red line.

"I think the United States is involved in an economic war against Iran, which President Donald Trump has pointed out with pride," Zarif told reporters on the sidelines of his forum at the Sustainable Development Forum in New York.

He added that the "war" targets civilians, not military or officials, and that it "lives up to the terrorist act because it terrorizes the people in order to achieve progress on the political agenda."

"We want to help them, we will be in their favor and we will work with them and help them in any way possible, but they can not have a nuclear weapon, and we are not looking for a way to change the regime," Trump said at a White House meeting on Tuesday.

He considered that the nuclear agreement signed by his predecessor Barack Obama is inappropriate, because it allows Iran to test ballistic missiles.

Republican Senator Rand Paul proposed to Trump to talk to the Iranians in order to ease the escalation between Washington and Tehran, the Politeco newspaper quoted sources as saying. Trump agreed to continue Senator Paul with Zarif, who is visiting New York.

The report angered many Trump officials, fearing that Paul's intervention would thwart Trump's "extreme pressure" campaign against Iran.

The newspaper pointed out that Senator Paul is one of the strongest opponents of the escalation with Iran or engage in a war with it.