Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, facing pressure from the White House for a new nuclear deal, says any action against Iran will be met with "a hard slap."

The Kremlin says that Iran has the right to peaceful nuclear energy and is acting in line with international law.

China, Iran and Russia called for diplomacy over “pressure and threats” and an end to “all illegal unilateral sanctions” following talks on Tehran’s nuclear program Friday in Beijing, Chinese state media said.