The Office of the Supreme Leader

In a meeting with thousands of people

Ayatollah Khamenei: Iran-US talks limited to nuclear issue

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a lively meeting on Wednesday with thousands of people from different walks of life, warned against the US’s deceitful efforts to infiltrate through certain loopholes. He noted that a “strong and resistive economy”, “further development of science” and “safeguarding and bolstering the revolutionary spirit, particularly in youths” are the three factors needed for a powerful confrontation with the Great Satan’s never-ending animosities. Highlighting several points about the March 2016 election, Ayatollah Khamanei said: “The outcome of every election, like the votes cast by each and every one of people, is the right of the people and this right of the nation will be defended in its entirety.”  
Referring to the blessed month of Dhu al-Qa’dah on the Islamic calendar and the necessity of benefiting from the invaluable opportunities in this month, Ayatollah Khamenei described the month of Shahrivar on the Persian calendar year as a reminder of meaningful memories and said: “In all events of this month, including the massacre of innocent people by the Pahlavi regime on Shahrivar 17, 1357 (September 9, 1978), the martyrdom of the president and the prime minister of the country on Shahrivar 8, 1360 (August 30, 1981), martyrdom assassination of [chief prosecutor] Ayatollah [Ali] Qoddousi and [Friday Prayers leader] Ayatollah [Assadollah] Madani in the same month and [then Iraqi dictator] Saddam’s invasion of Iran on Shahrivar 29, 1359 (September 20, 1980), the US’s footprints are seen directly or indirectly.” 
Expressing concern that these thought-provoking memories may be gradually forgotten and particularly erased off the memories of youth in the country, Ayatollah Khamenei criticized relevant institutions for not doing enough to keep those memories alive and said: “Such instructive events should not be eclipsed in the historical memory of the nation because if the young generation fails to get familiar with and find the roots of these historical and national memories, it will run astray in finding the [right] path for the present and future of the country.” 
Ayatollah Khamenei recalled some signs of the Americans’ absolute rule over Iran during the Pahlavi regime, saying: “All pillars of the diabolic regime, including the government and the Shah in person were obedient to the US, and the American officials, ruled the oppressed nation of Iran through their stooges, similar to the Pharaoh, but the great Imam [Khomeini], backed by the nation, purged this ancient territory from that system, just like Moses of the time.” 
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said an end to the Americans’ illegitimate interests in Iran was the main reason behind their never-ending vendetta and enmity toward the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation. 
Ayatollah Khamenei described Imam Khomeini’s historic action in labeling the US “the Great Satan” as a substantive move and said: “The master of all devils in the world is Satan, but Satan is only engaged in seduction and deception while the US [not only] seduces [others], [but] kills, imposes sanctions, deceives and practices hypocrisy.”    
Criticizing those who try to portray the worse-than-satanic nature of the US as the angel of salvation, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “Religion and revolutionarism aside, what about loyalty to the country’s best interests and wisdom? Which wisdom and conscience let us touch up a criminal like the US and portray it as a friend and trustable?”
Warning against the policies and modes of infiltration by the US, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said: “A Satan driven out by the nation is determined to make a comeback and we should not let it happen.” 
Ayatollah Khamenei said the Americans’ animosity with the Iranian nation is never-ending and cited an example as follows: “In the very days following [the agreement on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] JCPOA, which is an agreement whose fate remains still unclear in Iran and the US, the Americans in Congress have been engaged in conspiracy and drawing up a bill to cause problems for Iran.”
Ayatollah Khamenei said the only way for putting an end to the conspiracies of the Americans is the national strength of the Iranians, adding: “We have to become so strong that the Great Satan will be disappointed and see its animosities will be a nonstarter.”
Elucidating ways of attaining national strength, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution stressed three points: “Strong and resistive economy”, “further development of science” and “safeguarding and bolstering the revolutionary spirit, particularly in youths”.  
Regarding the first point, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “Strong and resistive economy becomes possible through concrete and undelayed implementation of the instructed policies of the Economy of Resistance. Of course, the government has certain plans under way [to that effect].”   
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution described scientific development and maintaining the pace of scientific progress as important, saying: “Boosting the spirit of revolutionarism and perseverance in people is one of the best options for internal strength, and officials should glorify revolutionary youths.”
Referring to the enemy’s efforts for pushing Iranian youths towards promiscuity and indifference, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “They intend to kill the epic and revolutionary spirit of the youths and certain individuals inside the country are constantly undermining pious youths with descriptions like extremist. That is very wrong behavior.” 
After elucidating ways of attaining daily-growing strength and disappointing enemies, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said: “Having divided tasks, the Americans are meting out double treatment to Iran with some of them smiling and some others in the process of drafting a bill against Iran.”
Ayatollah Khamenei said the Americans’ efforts to hold negotiations with Iran are a pretext for infiltration into the country and imposing the White House’s demands, noting: “We authorized negotiations only in the nuclear issue for specified and announced reasons. Praise be to God, [our] negotiators did well in this domain, but we do not negotiate with the US in other arenas.” 
“Of course, we are for negotiations and entente with all countries, except for the Great Satan, at different state, ethnic and religious levels,” added Ayatollah Khamenei.
 Referring to the fakeness of the Zionist regime of Israel, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said: “Some Zionists have said that given the results of the nuclear talks, we will have no concerns about Iran for 25 years, but we tell them ‘You will not [survive to] see the next 25 years’ and with God’s grace, no such thing as ‘the Zionist regime’ will exist in the region.”
 “Over this time (25 years), the Islamic, combative, epic and jihadi spirit will not leave the Zionists at ease,” the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said. 
In the concluding part of his address, Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted important points about the March 2015 elections.
Criticizing those who started promoting an electoral atmosphere across the country since one year and a half ago, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “This issue is not in the interests of the country because when the main issue becomes the atmosphere of electoral competition and conflicts, the main issues are sidelined and that is not in the interest of people and the country, but now it is time that some points were highlighted with regard to elections.” 
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution described the issue of elections as very important and a manifestation of people’s presence and trust and the symbol of religious and genuine democracy in Iran.
“Due to this distinctive significance, the holding of elections in Iran over the past 37 years has not been postponed even for a single day for whatever reason and [even] under difficult and tough conditions. Of course, some political activists made efforts in certain periods of time to that end (to have the elections postponed), but they were blocked,” added the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.
Referring to the incessant propaganda campaign by the US and its agents against elections in Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “During the [rule] of the diabolic regime [before the Islamic Revolution], they did not protest the show elections even once and now they do not object to dictatorial and heredity regimes in the [Middle East] region, but they aim their negative propaganda against Iran which [has held] dozens of fully democratic and genuine elections.” 
Underscoring the cleanness of all elections held over the past 37 years, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said: “Based on conventional international norms, the elections in Iran are among the cleanest and the best, but unfortunately certain individuals inside [the country] wrongfully harm the cleanness of the elections and they speak about vote-rigging and concerns about unclean elections even before the elections [are held].”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution described the lively presence of the nation in all elections over the past three decades as a sign of trust in the Islamic establishment, saying: “Why are some [individuals] harming this trust by raising fictitious preoccupations and groundless warnings
Ayatollah Khamenei added: “It goes without saying that in the issue of the cleanness of elections, tough measures will be applied and nobody will be allowed to do so (rig the vote). So what is the objective behind the repetition of these words?” 
Regarding the issue of cleanness of the vote, Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to the legal and influential role of the Guardian Council and said: “One of the biggest blessings of the Guardian Council is that it watches out for any error and wrongdoing. Of course, other institutions are also active in this regard.”
Expounding on the cleanness of elections after the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “Of course in some elections, there were reports of flaws in the elections. Orders were given for the re-examination [of the results] and the contrary was proven. Meantime, there have been sporadic irregularities and problems, but none has swayed the election tally.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said people’s vote equals “people’s right” in the proper sense of the world, noting: “Protecting the vote [cast] by every Iranian is a religious and Islamic obligation and nobody is entitled to breach of trust. Moreover, the result of people’s vote is a full manifestation of people’s rights and everyone should make efforts to safeguard and defend it.”  
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said resistance against insistence by certain individuals for the nullification of the result of the 2009 presidential election was an example of safeguarding the results of the nation’s votes and defending what is people’s right, adding: “Forty million turned out massively. We would have fully supported the election result, whatever it had been. I will continue to stand by the result of the nation’s vote in every other election, whatever the result might be, and I will not allow any manipulation.”
Referring to irrational rhetoric uttered about the elections against the Ministry of the Interior and the Guardian Council, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “The Guardian Council is the watching eye of the [Islamic Republic] establishment in the elections and everywhere in the world, there is such an institution with different names and titles.” 
“The Guardian Council’s supervision in the elections is based on vetting and is effective and this supervision is part of people’s rights and it has to be respected and protected,” added Ayatollah Khamenei
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution underscored the necessity of screening hopefuls in elections, saying: “The Guardian Council watches out for blocking unqualified individuals who may be running for the elections due to certain shortcomings, and this is the legal, rational and reasonable right of the Council.” 
Ayatollah Khamenei said massive turnout in the elections would guarantee the survival of the country, adding: “The Islamic Republic will undoubtedly be granted divine assistance and win over enemies on the condition that [there is] unity and cohesion in the nation and division is headed off.”

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