Channels

Photo: AFP
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Photo: AFP

Iran's top leader says no war or talks with US

Khamenei declines Trump's offer for talks, insisting US 'never remains loyal to its promises’; blames Rouhani's administration rather than US sanctions for currency crash; earlier, Iran showcases new radar-evading missile.

Iran's supreme leader said Monday that his country will neither go to war nor enter into negotiations with the United States as the Trump administration restores sanctions lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal.

 

 

In remarks carried by state television, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said "along with sanctions, Americans have recently raised two more options, war and talks ... War will not happen and we will not enter talks."

 

President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from Iran's nuclear deal with world powers in May and last week the US began restoring sanctions, exacerbating a financial crisis in Iran that has sent its currency tumbling. Trump has suggested he would be willing to hold talks with Iranian leaders, but that would be impossible without permission from Khamenei, who has the final say on all major policies.

 

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Photo: AFP)
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Photo: AFP)

 

"Negotiations with the US would definitely harm us and they are forbidden. America's withdrawal from the nuclear deal is a clear proof that America cannot be trusted," state TV quoted Khamenei as telling a gathering attended by thousands of Iranians.

 

"I ban holding any talks with America ... America never remains loyal to its promises in talks," said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on policy in the Islamic Republic.

 

"More than the sanctions, economic mismanagement (by the government) is putting pressure on ordinary Iranians... I do not call it betrayal but a huge mistake in management," state TV quoted Khamenei as saying.

 

Khamenei meanwhile blamed the monetary crisis on President Hassan Rouhani's administration, saying that "With better management and more efficient planning we can resist the sanctions and overcome them."

 

 

The sanctions target Iran's trade in gold and other precious metals, its purchases of US dollars and its car industry.

 

European countries, which still back the 2015 deal, fear Trump's moves will undermine Rouhani and strengthen the hand of his hardline rivals in the clerical establishment.

 

The rial has lost about half of its value since April in anticipation of the renewed US sanctions, driven mainly by heavy demand for dollars among ordinary Iranians trying to protect their savings.

 

Iranian officials have blamed "enemies" for the fall of the currency and a rapid rise in the price of gold coins, and more than 60 people, including several officials, have been arrested on charges that carry the death penalty.

 

"The corrupt people (officials) should be punished firmly," Khamenei said on Monday.

 

Showcasing a new missile

Also on Monday, Iran said it launched a production line for a radar-evading, short-range missile. Defense Minister Gen. Amir Hatami told state TV the surface-to-surface missile, dubbed Fateh-e Mobin, or Bright Conqueror, was effective in all weather conditions.

 

"Our will to enhance our defence power in all fields will increase if the pressure mounts on Iran," Hatami said after unveiling the "fully home-made precision-guided" missile.

 

Unveiling the new missile

Unveiling the new missile

סגורסגור

שליחה לחבר

 הקלידו את הקוד המוצג
תמונה חדשה

שלח
הסרטון נשלח לחברך

סגורסגור

הטמעת הסרטון באתר שלך

 קוד להטמעה:

 

He did not discuss the range of the missile, but older versions like the Fateh-313 have a range of some 500 kilometers (300 miles). Iran is believed to have long-range missiles with a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles), which are capable of reaching US bases in the region and Israel.

 

Trump has said Iran must also stop meddling in conflicts in Syria and Yemen, but Foreign Minister Javad Zarif struck a defiant tone on Monday, telling Qatar's al Jazeera TV: "Iran will not change its policies in the region because of US sanctions and threats."

 

Defense Minister Gen. Amir Hatami unveiling new Fateh-e Mobin ballistic missile
Defense Minister Gen. Amir Hatami unveiling new Fateh-e Mobin ballistic missile
 

 

Iran often announces military achievements that cannot be independently verified.

 

Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report.

 


פרסום ראשון: 08.13.18, 19:05
 new comment
Warning:
This will delete your current comment