Iran's Rouhani says White House is 'mentally retarded'

The U.S. policy toward Iran is a depiction of the Trump administration's despair, President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday, a day after Trump imposed sanctions on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

In a speech broadcast live on state television, Rouhani said: "The White House is mentally retarded and the U.S. sanctions against Tehran will fail."

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing the sanctions on Monday, taking a dramatic and unprecedented step to increase pressure on Iran after Tehran's downing of an American drone last week.

Washington said it would also impose sanctions on Iran's Foreign Minister Zarif later this week.

Iran says the U.S. drone was flying over southern Iran. Washington said it was downed in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf.

Trump said that the sanctions were in part a response to the shooting down of the drone, but would have happened anyway.

The latest sanctions are aimed at denying Iran’s leadership access to financial resources, blocking them from using the United States financial system or having access to any assets in the United States.

Iran and the United States have been at odds since last year when Trump withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers and reimposed sanctions on it.

Khamenei is Iran's utmost authority who has the last say on all state matters.

Iran would not accept talks with the United States while it is under the threat of sanctions, Iranian ambassador to the United Nations, Majid Takht Ravanchi, told reporters in New York.