Iran has suggested isolating the US by ditching the dollar during a meeting yesterday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tehran.

Remonstrating against US threats to impose new sanctions and cancel the nuclear agreement, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei branded the US an enemy and urged Moscow to completely sever ties with the US currency:

“By ignoring the negative propaganda of the enemies, that seek to weaken relations between countries, we can nullify US sanctions, using methods such as eliminating the dollar and replacing it with national currencies in transactions between two or more parties; thus, isolate the Americans.”

As The Express reports, Putin met Iranian political leaders in an effort to nurture a warming relationship strengthened since Donald Trump recently threatened to abandon the international nuclear deal with Iran reached in 2015.

The Russian premier criticised American interference in the region and described his country’s warm relations with Tehran. Despite the sanctions, Putin said:

“We devoted our funds to scientific and technological progress, and we had significant growth in the fields of biotechnology, IT, agriculture and space industries. Now, in spite of the initial concerns, we have realised that we can do whatever we decide to.”

Khamenei wants to step up cooperation to enable peace in the Middle East, Iranian state TV reported.

During the meeting with Putin, Khameini said:

“Full resolution of Syria’s crisis needs strong cooperation between Iran and Russia. Our cooperation can isolate America. This cooperation will restore stability in the region.”

Mr. Putin praised cooperation with Iran as “very productive,” adding that “we are managing to coordinate our positions on the Syrian issue.