(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that the US is seeking an “obedient” Iran and that the issues with the US cannot be “resolved” through negotiations.
“They want Iran, with its great history, and its people, with all their honor and glory, to obey the US,” Khamenei said, according to his website.
“Those who argue, ‘Why don’t you hold direct negotiations with America and resolve your issues?’ – in my opinion, they too are only seeing what’s on the surface. That is not the essence of the matter. This is not a matter that can be resolved,” the Iranian leader added.
Khamenei said that the statements and actions from US officials attempting to force Iran into obedience were greatly insulting and that Iran “will stand with all its might against anyone who has such a wrongful expectation of it.”
“The US incited and aided the Zionist regime to attack Iran and finish the job. They had no idea that Iran, in response, would strike a blow so powerful that it would make them regret it,” Khamenei added.
Since the end of the 12-day US-Israeli war on Iran, the US has continued to demand that Iran not enrich uranium on its soil, and President Trump has threatened to bomb Iran again if it did restart enrichment.
Other Iranian officials have said they’re open to talks with the US if they can receive assurances that Iran won’t be attacked again during the negotiations, but threats from Trump and Israeli officials have likely had the opposite effect.
While Iran hasn’t engaged in negotiations with the US, it has agreed to resume talks with the UK, Germany, and France on its nuclear program as the three European countries have been threatening to re-impose so-called “snapback” sanctions that were lifted on Iran as part of the 2015 nuclear deal. The talks between Iran and the European powers are expected to resume this week.
This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.
