Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei described the United States as the enemy of both Shia and Sunni Muslims, as well as the main sponsor of international terrorism.

The United States is the enemy of both Shia and Sunni Muslims, as well as the world’s main sponsor of terrorism, claimed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.

Khamenei, who made the remarks during a meeting with a number of Iranian officials, and ambassadors of Islamic countries in Tehran, said that Washington was also the chief architect of terrorist groups, Al Manar, a TV Channel affiliated with Iran’s Lebanese terror proxy Hezbollah, reported.

Iran, on the other hand, has “tackled terrorism, hit it in the face, bumped it in the head, and is going to do the same in the future,” he claimed.

Addressing a recent bill proposed by Congress which favors arming Iraq’s Kurdish and Sunni tribesmen, Khamenei asked rhetorically, “Are they [the U.S.] really interested in the Sunnis?”

“[The United States] is against anything that has the sign of Islam and they don’t differentiate between the Shias and Sunnis, and issues like religion and ethnicity are just a pretext for them to sow discord,” semi-official state news agency Fars reported.

Khamenei stressed that Iran would continue supporting “the oppressed people” of Yemen, Bahrain, and Palestine in every way possible.

Saturday’s meeting coincided with the date that Shia Muslims mark the birthday of the prophet Muhammad.

Iran and world powers led by the U.S. are currently in the midst of negotiations over the country’s nuclear program.