Leader Warns Aggressors of Harsh Consequences of Encounter with Iran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei reaffirmed on Wednesday that the Iranian nation will not let any possible act of aggression against the country go unanswered.
Addressing a gathering of Iranian teachers in Tehran on Wednesday, Ayatollah Khamenei lashed out at the US officials for their recent rhetoric of military move against Iran.
The Leader said he has already made it clear, even in the tenure of former US president, that "the era of hit and run has ended", and that the Iranian nation will chase aggressors.
Pointing to the nuclear talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany), Ayatollah Khamenei said, “It is unacceptable that the other side would continuously issue threats while the negotiations are underway.”
The Supreme Leader also voiced opposition to “the negotiations under the specter of threats.”
Alluding to the recent military threats made by the US officials, Imam Khamenei underlined that Iranians will not tolerate nuclear negotiations under the pressure of threats.
The Leader added that Washington’s need for nuclear talks is not less than Iran's, if not more.
“We want the negotiations to yield results and the sanctions to be lifted, but it does not mean that if the sanctions are not removed, we will not be able to manage the country,” the Leader stated.
Imam Khamenei explained that the settlement of the country’s economic woes does not hinge upon the termination of sanctions alone, noting, “The economic problems should be resolved through our own prudence, will and capabilities, with or without sanctions.”
The Supreme Leader once again called on the Iranian nuclear negotiators to be aware not to cross the country’s red lines in the course of talks.
Iran and the Group 5+1 (also known as the P5+1 or E3+3) are in talks to hammer out a lasting accord that would end more than a decade of impasse over Tehran's peaceful nuclear program.
On April 2, the two sides reached a framework nuclear agreement in Lausanne, Switzerland, with both sides committed to push for a final deal until the end of June.
Diplomats from Iran and the EU wrapped up the latest round of negotiations in New York on Tuesday and are slated to resume the talks in Vienna on May 12 to press on with the task of drafting the comprehensive deal.