Iran’s Supreme Leader said in his the Fetre Eid mass prayer sermon that Iran’s political stance toward the United States will not change as a result of the Vienna agreement.
On July 14, Iran and the 5+1 arrived at a final draft of agreement on limiting Iran’s nuclear program and removing the international sanctions against Iran.
Ayatollah Khamenei said on Friday that despite the agreement, Iran will not change its anti-U.S. policies.
He added that U.S. policies in the region are diametrically opposed to Iran’s and that his country had no reason to enter bilateral talks with the U.S. over any global or regional issues.
He said: “Sometimes in exceptional issues such as the nuclear issue, according to our interests, we have negotiated with them. This has not been the only time; there have been other instances as well.”
The agreement between Iran and the 5+1 will be presented to the Security Council in the next few days.
Ayatollah Khamenei thanked Iran’s negotiating team for its efforts, saying: “Whether the draft of the agreement is executed through the legal channels or not, we recognize its value.”
He said he will not allow the agreement to be exploited to Iran’s disadvantage, adding that Iran’s defensive capabilities and its totality will be protected and Iran will not surrender to any “excessive demands of the enemies”.
He added that Iran’s support for its regional allies, such as “the oppressed people of Palestine, the oppressed people of Yemen and the nation and government of Syria, the nation and government of Iraq, the oppressed people of Bahrain and the honest resistance in Lebanon and Palestine” is in no way affected by the agreement.