TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's supreme leader says his country has outmaneuvered the United States in the four decades since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Iran has "trapped the other party in the corner of the ring in many cases."

He says U.S. aggression toward Iran has only grown "wilder and more flagrant" over the years.

Khamenei's official website published his remarks to thousands of students Sunday, a day before the 40th anniversary of the U.S. Embassy takeover in Tehran.

Tensions have been high between Washington and Tehran after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from Iran's 2015 nuclear deal.

The U.S. has sought to roll back Iran's influence across the region by imposing sanctions and providing military and other aid to its adversaries.