U.S. cannot influence Iranian ties with neighbors: Rouhani

Washington cannot dictate its policies on regional countries for their relations with Iran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday.

Rouhani made the remarks at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport before leaving for Turkey on Wednesday.

Rouhani said the United States has no longer any influence on relations between countries in the region, and it will no longer be able to dictate its policies to regional states, Press TV reported.

Rouhani left Tehran for Ankara for an official two-day visit at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Rouhani will co-chair the fifth Turkey-Iran High Level Cooperation Council meeting in Ankara.

He also hailed what he called Turkey's "firm" stance on unilateral U.S. sanctions against the Islamic republic.

Ties of Turkey, as friendly key regional player, are of high significance to Iran, he stressed.