Friday , 29 March 2024

Khamenei says Iran will respond to nuclear deal violations

Al-Monitor – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrived in New York on Sept. 17 to attend the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, where he will defend the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Meanwhile in a speech in Tehran, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned of an Iranian response should the United States back out of the nuclear deal reached with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.


“The nation of Iran has stood strong,” said Khamenei, speaking to the country’s military leaders. “And any action by [the United States] regarding the nuclear deal will encounter the Islamic Republic’s response.” With respect to the actions Khamenei expects from Iranian officials in response to American threats to back out of the nuclear deal, the supreme leader made a reference to “corrupt American leaders” and said, “Iran is a powerful nation and will not submit to pressure.”

Khamenei added in regard to US behavior and the nuclear deal, “Every day they show their trickery and mischief. It proves the veracity of the Imam’s [Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s] words, who called America the Great Satan. In reality, the United States is the worst of the devils.”

On Iran’s nuclear goals, Khamenei said that the country needs to attain a capacity of 20,000 megawatts from its nuclear plants in the coming years. He added, “But America, which is opposed to the scientific progress of Iran and other countries, stood against this legal movement and imposed oppressive sanctions.”

Khamenei said Iranian officials previously “reached the conclusion to negotiate and to waive a portion of their rights for the sanctions to be removed. But today despite all of the numerous contracts and commitments and discussions in the negotiations, we see America’s approach to this negotiation has been tyrannical and bullying.”

Khamenei was not the only Iranian official to discuss the nuclear deal and the United States. Parliament speaker Ali Larijani told a local television station in West Azerbaijan province that US congressional moves to block the sale of US planes to Iran is a “clear violation of the nuclear deal.” He said, “This is very strange because America says that Iran has violated the spirit of the nuclear deal while they are the ones who do not observe the original agreement.” Last week, the US House of Representatives adopted two measures that could block the sale of US-made aircraft to Iran.

Larijani further observed, “I think American officials are afflicted with backwardness. Previously they have not been this backward.” He said that even the Europeans are not supportive of US attempts to back out of the nuclear deal. Citing US desires to leave the Paris Climate Agreement, Larijani said the United States has become “devoid of reason” and that the Americans are only isolating themselves.

Echoing Khamenei and other Iranian officials on the possibility of an American withdrawal from the nuclear deal, Larijani said, “The Islamic Republic will go forward with the nuclear and other regional issues with prudence and the actions of Iran will be measured and thorough.”

0