In a speech Monday that addressed Iran’s troubled economy and the 2015 nuclear deal, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that he would “prohibit” talks with the United States, The New York Times reported.
In an apparent response to President Donald Trump’s tweet, “Iran, and it’s economy, is going very bad, and fast! I will meet, or not meet, it doesn’t matter – it is up to them!” offering direct talks earlier this month, Khamenei tweeted, “THERE WILL BE NO WAR, NOR WILL WE NEGOTIATE WITH THE U.S..”
The Times described Khamenei’s refusal as the “final word.”
“The Islamic Republic can negotiate with America whenever it achieves the power to resist America’s pressure and blackmail,” Khamenei declared. “Today this is not the case.” He also referenced his predecessor Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who forbade negotiating with the U.S., saying, “I prohibit it as well.”
The speech follows Iran’s recent testing of a ballistic missile and the unveiling of a new generation ballistic missile.
Khamenei attempted to deflect blame for the failing economy. He blamed President Hassan Rouhani for having “trespassed the red lines that had been set” in negotiating the nuclear deal. He indicated that Trump’s decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal and re-impose sanctions proved his suspicion — which he had communicated to Rouhani — that the U.S. could not be trusted.
In a summary of the speech appearing on Iran’s semi-official PressTV website, Khamenei also suggested that Rouhani and his regime were responsible for the economic downturn. Khamenei dismissed the impact of sanctions charging that “most of the country’s economic problems are the result of internal mismanagement.”
Despite the criticism of Rouhani, the Times reported that the Supreme Leader made clear the he opposed attempts to undermine Rouhani’s regime.
A 2013 investigation by Reuters showed that Khamenei had control of billions of dollars in assets. His wealth was accumulated by “the systematic seizure of thousands of properties belonging to ordinary Iranians,” especially religious minorities.
[Photo: IRNA ]