“Nobody is allowed to call the negotiators ‘compromisers’. They are born and bred here [under the Islamic Revolution]. They shoulder an arduous task and no one may undermine their mission,” said the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in an address on Sunday.
The Leader voiced his strong support for the ongoing initiative of the current administration to engage in the talks with the West, including the US, to address Tehran’s nuclear impasse, and censured certain political parties who frowned upon the government’s diplomacy towards the West by installing derogatory banners and essays in the press.
Some of the banners showed the English-language slogan “The U.S. Government Styles Honesty,” and depicted a goateed Iranian official (presumably meant to resemble Zarif) sitting across from a U.S. counterpart who, under the table, conceals symbols of perceived American aggression.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution advised the current administration against relying on the talks for resolving domestic issues. “We believe that officials should lean on domestic potentials to solve the matters. Successful countries in foreign diplomacy are those who place reliance on their domestic power.”
“We shall not trust a smiling foe. The Americans give us a venal smile at the negotiating table expressing tendency for talks, but at the very same time repeat that they have all the options on the table; what on earth may they do then?” the Leader went on to say.
Americans are most considerate when it comes to Zionists; but “we are free of such considerations. Since its incipience, we have regarded this regime as an illegitimate and bastard establishment.”
He underlined that talks with the US would only concern the nuclear issue, and posited, “Talks with the P5+1 group concern only the nuclear issue and nothing else.”
Referring to his New Year speech in the holy city of Mashhad, he said that “as I have previously said I am not optimistic about the talks, though, God willing, the negotiations would not harm us.”
“By the talks the Iranian nation would enter into a superior intellectual phase,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
“If the talks are successful, so much the better. But if they fail, the country shall stand on its own feet afterwards,” the Leader said confirming a previous speculation by Iran’sView.
Ayatollah Khamenei mentioned the nuclear issue of Iran with the West as well, and said, “Iran’s voluntary suspension of its enrichment program for two years in 2004 delayed the country at least two years in its nuclear agenda; however, it finally turned out to be our benefit… during the two years that Iran volunteered to suspend (uranium) enrichment, the West showed no sign of building confidence and easing sanctions against Tehran, so that the Leader mandated the then-administration to restore nuclear activities. Iran regards the 2004 failure as an instance for not trusting the West.”
