Tehran Friday prayer leader cautions against US’ endless enmity towards Iran

Rasa – Tehran’s Provisional Friday Prayers Leader, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, warned against the US administration’s endless hostility towards the Islamic Republic, saying that the nuclear deal with world powers should not lead to Iranians’ optimism about the enemy.

News ID: 3833

Date: 22 January 2016 - 19:57

RNA – Addressing a huge gathering of worshipers in Tehran on Friday, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami slammed the US for its new anti-Iran sanctions, which was announced following the implementation of the nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“If we think that the US has done us a favor by the (nuclear) agreement, it would be like we are prettifying the enemy,” he noted.

“While signing the JCPOA, (US President Barack) Obama signed new sanctions against Iran,” the cleric reminded, adding, “This means that the US is the same Great Satan that it was over thirty years ago.”

Washington’s new sanctions on 11 companies and individuals over Iran’s testing of Emad missile in October 2015 were announced on Sunday, hours after termination of anti-Tehran embargoes following confirmations from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Tehran had made good on its commitments under the JCPOA, the nuclear agreement finalized by Iran and six world powers.

The new financial sanctions by the US government were the first since Tehran and the P5+1 group of countries (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) reached the landmark nuclear agreement on July 14, 2015.

Iran has repeatedly stressed that test of missiles is an issue relating to defense of its territorial integrity and has nothing to do with the JCPOA.

Iran has also underscored frequently that its military might poses no threat to other countries and that the Islamic Republic’s defense doctrine is entirely based on deterrence.

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