TEHRAN - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Saturday that the Islamic republic does not intend to build nuclear weapons, Press TV reported.

Khamenei told a group of his visitors Saturday that Iran has "no intention to build nuclear weapons."

"We believe that nuclear weapons must be obliterated, and we do not intend to make nuclear weapons, but if ... we had decided to possess nuclear weapons, no power could prevent us," he said.

Iran and the West are locked in a bitter dispute over the former's nuclear activities, with the latter accusing Tehran of developing nuclear weapon under a civilian cover, a charge Iran has consistently denied.

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday urged Iran to make "real offers" and engage in a "real dialogue" in the upcoming nuclear talks with world powers, saying that is the only way to make progress.

Iran agreed recently to start fresh talks with the so-called P5+ 1 group -- Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany -- on February 26 in Kazakhstan.