North Korea's official news agency slammed the United States for its "deceptive" attitude towards Iran, according to reports in South Korean media on Sunday.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that fresh sanctions were slapped on an Iran firm by the United States, shortly after Washington offered to hold talks with Tehran with no preconditions.
The United States recently sanctioned the Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (PGPIC) -- Iran's largest petrochemical group -- accusing the orgsation of providing support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) which was listed as a Foreign Terrorist Orgsation (FTO) by Washington in April.
Citing an Iran foreign ministry spokesman, KCNA also claimed that USA's offer of dialogue was not "genuine," according to Yonhap News Agency.
North Korea is currently stuck in an impasse with the United States, especially after the breakdown of the Vietnam Summit between the leaders of the two nations in February this year. The two countries were supposed to chart the way forward in the denuclearisation process and hold a joint press conference after the summit -- which did not happen as talks ended abruptly.
US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reportedly failed to resolve their differences on sanctions waivers which led to the breakdown of talks. While North Korea asked for relief in sanctions in exchange for the denuclearisation steps undertaken by the reclusive state, the United States maintained its stance that sanctions waivers would only be given once complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula is achieved.
Talks between the two states have been limited following the Vietnam Summit, with the US urging Pyongyang to resume dialogue. North Korea, on the other hand, has told US to drop its hardline stance and put forward a new proposal acceptable to the country's leadership.
( With inputs from ANI )