U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday called Iran the "most destructive force" in the Middle East, blaming Tehran for instability across the region and warning that the United States will never allow it to obtain a nuclear weapon.

The comments came as Trump kick off a four-day visit to the Middle East on Tuesday with his visit to Saudi capital.

Iran's army chief of staff said the Islamic Republic's armed forces are at peak combat and intelligence readiness, warning that while enemies may start a conflict, Iran will decide how and where it ends,

An Iranian official told CNN that recent indirect talks with the United States aimed at addressing Tehran’s nuclear program and lifting sanctions were “not genuine” from the American side and were likely designed from the outset as a “trap to draw the situation toward tension.

Nadergholi Ebrahimi has asked Supreme Leader Khamenei to rethink Iran's nuclear policy if negotiations with the U.S. collapse.

The US and Iran will continue talks over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, after discussions on Sunday that were described as encouraging by Washington and “difficult but useful” by Tehran.