Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday that Iran's economy should not be tied to U.S. sanctions.

Iran and major powers have engaged in talks for the past 11 months in Vienna to revive a 2015 nuclear deal, which curbed Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) chief Mohammad Eslami told Tasnim News Agency on Monday that Iran will never abandon its "peaceful" nuclear activities.

Speaking on the occasion of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, Eslami said the AEOI has made a comprehensive plan to apply new nuclear technologies to improve health, agricultural, industrial and environmental services.

(With input from agencies)