Ayatollah Khamenei:

West will never remove sanctions against Iran

Rasa – The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei warned of the arrogant powers’ plots to impede Iran’s progress in different scientific and technological fields, and said even if Tehran accepts all the demands of the world powers in the nuclear standoff, they will never remove their embargos against the country.

News ID: 2144

Date: 18 February 2015 - 20:05

“Their main goal of such measures (sanctions) is humiliation of the Iranian nation and stopping the nation and Islamic Republic’s great move towards a new Islamic civilization and I believe that even if we accept the demands that they (want to) dictate to us in the nuclear issue, the sanctions will not be removed since they are opposed to the (Islamic) Revolution in essence,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in Tehran on Wednesday, addressing a large number of visiting Iranians from East Azerbaijan province.

He elaborated on the underlying cause of economic problems in Iran, and said, “One of the most important problems is the arrogant powers’ plots after the end of the (Iraqi-) Imposed War (1980-1988) to prevent Iran from becoming an influential economic pole in the region and the world.”

Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to the western states’ attempts to keep Iran away from partnership in major regional and international economic projects, including oil and gas pipelines, and keep Tehran under sanctions, and said in addition to the arrogant powers’ plots, the country’s economy is suffering from dependence on oil and government’s major role in different projects.

He underlined the necessity for implementation of Resistance Economy plans in Iran, and said, “The resistance economy which is necessary for the country under any conditions, under or free from sanctions, means that the country’s economic foundation should be organized in a way that it is not affected by global trembles.”

“If the country’s economic basis is planned and strengthened based on using people’s capacities and domestic production, we will never mourn or grow concerned over sanctions and reduction in oil prices,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.

He underscored that one of the important and main solutions to get rid of oil-oriented economy is cutting the budget’s dependence on oil revenues, and emphasized the necessity for using the abundant capacities of the Iranian youth to make progress and materialize the goals of the Revolution.

He blasted the US threats and the European states’ obedience to the US policies, and said, “If they is to be any sanction imposed, the Iranian nation too can impose sanction (on them) and it will do so.”

In relevant remarks earlier this month, Ayatollah Khamenei underlined that Iran would never accept a bad agreement with the world powers, adding that the country is in favor of a single-phase comprehensive deal which would respect the Iranian nation’s inalienable rights and entail all details.

“I agree with an agreement if it can be struck, but I disagree with a bad agreement,” the Supreme Leader said in a meeting with the commanders and personnel of the Iranian Air Force and Air Defence in Tehran.

He pointed to the US officials’ remarks that “disagreement is better than a bad agreement”, and said, “We believe the same and we believe that not agreement is better than striking an agreement that would harm the national interests and pave the way for humiliating the great Iranian nation.”

The Leader further stressed his opposition to striking a deal over general issues and leaving the details for some other time in future, saying that a final agreement should include all the general principles and all the details together and should not leave anything for future.

The Supreme Leader reiterated that the Iranian nation will not tolerate bullying, excessive demands and illogical behaviour.

Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that the general points and technical details of any accord need to be agreed upon simultaneously as the US has already proved that it tries to escape its undertakings under the pretext of different interpretations.

“The contents of such a contract should be transparent, clear and not open to interpretation. The contents of the agreement should not allow the other side which is used to bargaining to seek excuses on different issues,” he added.

The 10th round of negotiations between Iran and the six world powers was held in Vienna from November 18 to 24, where the seven nations decided to extend the talks until July after they failed to strike an agreement.

The latest round of the nuclear talks between Iran and the six world powers was held in February.

Both Iran and the P5+1 group of countries (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) negotiators have underlined that cutting a final deal before the July 10 deadline is possible.

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