No talks until U.S. drops aggressive rhetoric: Leader
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has stated that Iran will not negotiate with the United States under pressure and threats.
“For obvious reasons, we have refused to negotiate with the United States because we do not regard negotiation under the shadow of threats and pressure as negotiation,” Ayatollah Khamenei told a large gathering of senior state officials in Tehran.
As the respected officials of the country have said, Iran is interested in negotiations, but not with the United States, which seeks dialogue using threats and pressure, he added.
The Leader said if the West drops its sanctions and threats, Iran will be ready to sit down for dialogue.
And if the U.S. unwisely follows through on its military threats against Iran, the repercussions of that attack will not be restricted to the region, he stated.
Ayatollah Khamenei dismissed the claim that the international community is opposed to the Islamic Republic of Iran, saying the Zionist regime and the United States regard themselves as the international community.
In fact, the international community’s hostility toward the U.S. and Israel is increasing since the foreign policies of these two countries have failed in the Middle East region, he said.
On Iran’s uranium enrichment program, he said that Iran will not relinquish its legitimate right to enrich uranium to 20 percent to power the Tehran nuclear research reactor.
“We purchased the fuel required for this reactor nearly two decades ago. Now that they know we need 20 percent fuel again, they have started a bad game and they will lose in the end,” he stated.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei advised the Iranian people and state officials to maintain unity and solidarity.
Source: tehrantimes.com
