BICOM

In a combative televised speech on Saturday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said that despite the nuclear deal agreed last week, Iran would not alter its opposition towards the United States.

The agreement was greeted with jubilation in the streets of Tehran, as the deal will likely see international sanctions lifted in return for a slowdown in Iranian nuclear development over the next decade. However, hopes by Western supporters of the deal, that the agreement will signal a more moderate approach by Iran’s leadership appeared to take a blow thanks to Khamenei’s belligerent stance.

Speaking to a crowd at a Tehran mosque, marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Khamenei’s speech was greeted by chants of “death to America” and “death to Israel.” Khamenei said, “American interests and politics in the region are 180 degrees different to ours … Even after this deal our policy toward the arrogant US will not change.” He added, “We have nothing to talk to America about with regard to regional and global issues … We have no bilateral issue to discuss.”

Khamenei also made clear that, “Whether the deal is approved or disapproved, we will never stop supporting our friends in the region” which he said include “the people of Palestine, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain and Lebanon” and “sincere resistance fighters in Lebanon and Palestine.” Tehran is a major backer for terror groups including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Islamic Jihad, rebels in Yemen plus the Assad regime in Syria.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has consistently opposed the deal, in part over its failure to address Iran’s support for terror and regional instability, said yesterday, “If anyone thought that Iran’s wonderful concessions would bring about a change in its policy, they got a crushing response this weekend” from Khamenei. He added that, “The Iranians aren’t even trying to hide the fact that they’ll take advantage of” the financial windfall from sanctions relief “in order to arm terrorists.”