By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday said that any cooperation with the United States would be impossible unless Washington ended its support for Israel and withdrew its military presence from the Middle East.
Supreme leader Khamenei said “The US sometimes says it’s willing to cooperate with Iran. If they stop supporting the Zionist regime, remove their military bases from the region, and cease interfering in regional affairs, these matters could potentially be reviewed.”
“This is not something foreseeable now or in the near future.” Addressing the prospect of closer ties between Tehran and Washington, Khamenei said.
“Some people ask whether we will ever have relations with the US. The US’s arrogant nature accepts nothing other than submission. Even the current US President has said this openly, revealing the true nature of America. What would such surrender mean for a nation like Iran?”
He added that Iran’s strength lay in its ability to resist external pressure.
“Iran will demonstrate that it is a strong nation, and no power, regardless of its capabilities, can force it to surrender or bring it to its knees,” he said.
“We must make the country strong. Military strength, scientific advancement, and sound governance are essential. If the enemy realizes that confronting this nation brings only loss, the country will become immune.” Khamenei’s remarks came during a gathering of students in Tehran marking the anniversary of the 1979 seizure of the US embassy, which followed the Islamic Revolution that toppled the Western-backed Shah.
“Embassies typically gather information about the host country, and that’s not unusual,” Khamenei said.
“But on November 4, 1979, our youth seized the US embassy and found documents proving it was a center for conspiring to overthrow the Islamic Revolution. The takeover signified the discovery of a major plot and a grave danger to the Revolution.”
He reiterated that the conflict between Iran and the United States was “not tactical but fundamental.” “It is a clash of interests between two opposing currents, the Islamic Republic and the United States,” he said.
The comments came against the backdrop of recent hostilities between Iran and Israel.
In mid-June, Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran, triggering a 12-day conflict that saw US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and an Iranian response with missile and drone attacks.
The war ended with a ceasefire on June 24, derailed the nuclear talks that had resumed in April.
Iran remains under extensive international sanctions after the United States withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord in 2018 and re-imposed penalties.
In September, the UN reinstated sanctions under the “snapback” mechanism, after a move by Britain, France, and Germany.
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