Ayatollah Khamenei: US Founded on Terror, Cause of Regional Instability
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei described the US as the cause of instability in the Middle East, dismissing any chance of reconciliation with the US administration which has been “founded upon terrorism” and opposes the essence of the Islamic Republic.
“The US is itself terrorist, fosters terrorists, sponsors a regime like the Zionist regime (of Israel) which is the core of terrorism, and has been originally founded upon terror and cruelty,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a meeting with high-ranking Iranian officials in Tehran on Monday evening.
“Thus, it is impossible to compromise with the US,” the Leader noted.
“A lot of problems with the US are basically unsolvable, because America’s trouble with us does not relate to issues such as the nuclear energy or human rights, but they have trouble with the essence of the Islamic Republic,” Imam Khamenei added.
The US is opposed to the principle of Iran’s independence, the Leader noted, arguing that even if Iran was being governed by a non-religious and non-revolutionary but an independent establishment, the US would again oppose it.
“Americans should know that the Islamic Republic will not abandon stances such as countering cruelty and defending Palestine, and will not abandon its attempt to restore the rights of the nation,” Imam Khamenei added.
Dismissing the US allegations that Iran is destabilizing the region, the Leader said the US and its proxies are the cause of instability in the Middle East.
Taking a swipe at the US president for accusing Iran of sponsoring terrorism during a recent visit to Saudi Arabia, Ayatollah Khamenei said “it is absolutely ridiculous” that Americans raise the issue of human rights in a meeting with “Saudi medieval and tribal rulers” and accuse the Islamic Republic, the symbol of democracy, in a place totally unfamiliar with democracy.
Such anti-Iran human rights allegations by the US officials during a trip to Saudi Arabia will remain as a “historic shame” for the US forever, the Leader added.
Ayatollah Khamenei then lashed out at the US for creating and supporting Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group and for establishing a fake military coalition against it, saying Washington only feels uneasy about an “uncontrolled Daesh” but would counter the genuine efforts to destroy the terrorist group.
The Leader then touched on the US breach of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a nuclear agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany), and called on the Iranian team monitoring the implementation of the JCPOA to make sure that Iran’s conditions in the accord will be entirely fulfilled.
The enemy is brazenly countering Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei warned, urging the officials involved in the implementation of the JCPOA to remain vigilant, because the enemy would interpret any negligence as weakness and would behave more rudely.
While many consider the JCPOA a major breakthrough in the improvement of ties between Iran and the West, Imam Khamenei has repeatedly made it clear that Tehran’s policy toward the US will remain unchanged regardless of the nuclear deal.
The accord took effect in January 2016 and was scheduled to terminate all nuclear-related sanctions against Iran all at once, but its implementation has been hampered mainly due to US policies.