Iran hits out at US after Trump nuclear weapons comment

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has hit out at the United States after PresidentDonald Trump said Washington was not looking for "regime change" in Iran but was only interested in preventing Tehran from getting nuclear weapons.

In a Twitter post on Monday, Zarif insisted Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons and accused the US, which has recently beefed up its military presence in the Middle East, of causing regional tensions and "hurting the Iranian people".

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "long ago said we're not seeking nuclear weapons - by issuing a fatwa (edict) banning them", Zarif tweeted.

His comments came after Trump said on Monday during a trip to Japan that a deal with Iran on its nuclear programme was possible, crediting economic sanctions for curbing activities Washington has said are behind a spate of attacks in the Middle East.

"We aren't looking for regime change - I just want to make that clear. We are looking for no nuclear weapons," Trump told reporters during a news conference with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abein Tokyo.

"I really believe that Iran would like to make a deal, and I think that's very smart of them, and I think that's a possibility to happen," he said.

"It has a chance to be a great country with the same leadership."

In response, Zarif tweeted: "Actions - not words - will show whether or not that's @realDonaldTrump's intent," Zarif added, referencing the US president's Twitter handle.