Ayatollah Khamenei says ‘flexibility” will make enemy more aggressive

TEHRAN – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Revolution, on Wednesday called on the government “not to tie the country’s affairs to the JCPOA (nuclear deal) and foreign issues.”

“We should not tie our country’s issues to something which is not in our control,” the Leader told a number of senior state officials, Tehran Times reported.

On May 8 Donald Trump effectively withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear agreement and announced Washington will introduce sanctions against Iran. Two weeks later his new secretary of state Mike Pompeo used a harsh language against Iran, saying the U.S. will “crush” Iran with economic and military pressure if it does not halt all uranium enrichment, stop its ballistic-missile program, give nuclear inspectors access to the entire country among other demands.

Under the nuclear program endorsed by the UN Security Council, Iran was obliged to scale back its nuclear enrichment work in exchange for termination of economic and financial sanctions.  Since the deal went into effect in January 2016 the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has issued 11 reports each times confirming Iran’s loyalty to the terms of the agreement.

The Leader cited a number of reasons why Iran should not trust the West, particularly the United States.

The Leader said “flexibility” in the face of enemy will not make it soften its approach, rather, he said, will make it “more aggressive”.

Citing an example, the Leader said in 2003 the sitting administration in Iran showed flexibility toward the Bush administration but later then U.S. president called Iran an “axis of evil”.

“If you want to do something to reduce enmity do it, but its way is not flexibly,” the Leader told government officials.

Ayatollah Khamenei said “resistance” against the U.S. will make Washington “back down”.

The Leader said, “The fact that today the United Nations has recognized our right to (nuclear) enrichment was not because of negotiations. Its reason was because of our progress in the nuclear field.”

The European Union has said it will stick to the nuclear program. However, some major European companies are leaving Iran since Trump announced withdrawal from the nuclear accord.

‘Don’t pin hopes on Europe’

Ayatollah Khamenei told government officials not pin hopes on Europe because experience has shown that Europe is more inclined toward the United States when it comes to major issues.

“We are not seeking confrontation with Europe but these three countries (France, Britain, and Germany) are aligned with the U.S.” when it comes to sensitive issues, the Leader explained.

Leader says ‘resistance’ against U.S. will make it ‘back down’

For example during the nuclear negotiations France played the role of “bad police” and Britain has halted the import of yellow cake by Iran.

Ayatollah Khamenei added the government must “not to tie the country’s affairs to the JCPOA and foreign issues.”

“We should not tie our country’s issues to something which is not in our control.”

‘All conspiracies for regime change in Iran have failed’

Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei said since the beginning of the 1979 revolution, the U.S. has resorted to different hostile acts to harm the Islamic Republic.

The U.S. has organized “different political, economic, and military, and propagandistic” moves against Iran and the motives behind all these acts have been “regime change” and this word is being repeated, and it “is not something new”.

 “All these conspiracies have failed.”

The Leader added, “We have no doubt that the enemy will be defeated and anyone who is familiar with Islamic teachings knows this.”

The Leader predicted the current U.S. President Donald Trump will find a fate like those of his predecessors such as George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan and other neo-cons.

“He (Trump) will be lost in history,” the Leader predicted.

‘Iran cannot interact with U.S.’

“The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran cannot interact with the United States because the United States has not been committed to its obligations,” the Leader remarked.

Ayatollah Khamenei also said in terms of commitment to obligations under the nuclear agreement there has been no difference between the Trump and Obama administrations because “each one has violated their commitments in a way.”

He said the United States’ “animosity” with the Islamic Republic is not because of Iran’s nuclear program, rather it is because Tehran is not “bowing down” to Washington and that Iran’s power is increasing greatly. “The U.S. is deeply opposed to such a system and wants to undermine the elements of the power in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

M.Wassouf