Tehran  - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday rejected an offer by US President Barack Obama to open a new era in relations until Tehran could see real changes in US policies.

"The Iranian nation can neither be tricked [by the messages] nor threatened. The changes claimed by the US should be real and not just in rhetoric," Khamenei said.

Tehran  - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Saturday that he would stay neutral in the June presidential elections and not support any candidate.

Khamenei was referring to press speculation that he would favour President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and prefer him to stay for another four-year tenure.

"I only have one vote and I will not tell anyone to vote for any special person," the supreme leader said in a televised speech in the city of Mashad in north-eastern Iran.

Tehran  - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday rejected an offer by US President Barack Obama to open a new era in relations until Tehran could see real changes in US policies.

"The new US president sends us a Persian New Year greeting message but in the same accuses us again to support terrorism and to be after nuclear weapons," the supreme leader said in a televised speech in the city of Mashad in north-eastern Iran.

Tehran  - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday demanded than an international war crimes tribunal be held against Israeli leaders who ordered military operations in the Gaza Strip in December and January.

"The first step is breaking the immunity of this criminal regime (Israel) and holding a war crime tribunal against its leaders over the crimes and massacre in Gaza," the Ayatollah said at the

inauguration ceremony of a conference on Palestine.

Tehran - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Saturday that Iran should not be afraid of political challenges, Western ballyhoos or dangers.

"Political challenges are natural and just reflect the forward trend of our Islamic system," the Ayatollah told foreign ministry officials, including Iranian diplomats abroad.

"We should therefore not be afraid of ballyhoos by the West and dangers, the foreign ministry should act with both courage and wisdom," said Khamenei, who according to the Iranian constitution has the final say on all state matters.