Ali Khamenei's Harsh Criticism of Regional Countries' Presence at the Warsaw Conference

Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, on Monday, February 18, called the Warsaw Conference on peace and security in the Middle East a 'failed meeting' and criticized the 'gathering of officials from seemingly Muslim countries' with Israeli officials, describing it as 'causing them to lose their dignity.' The leader of the Islamic Republic stated that 'the weak-minded American statesmen' intended to 'make anti-Iran decisions' by inviting 'weak and intimidated governments,' but according to him, 'this meeting did not yield any results and all of this is a sign of weakness, and the enemy, in a state of weakness, becomes angry and starts to create uproar and insult.' Khamenei also warned that 'this uproar' should not lead to 'the heart of a certain official becoming empty' or 'a certain youth making mistakes.' The 'Peace and Security in the Middle East' conference was held last Wednesday and Thursday with the participation of delegations from over 60 countries in Warsaw, Poland. According to the final document of this conference, which was drafted by the US and Poland, it was mentioned that seven working groups formed during the conference would continue their work in the coming weeks to follow up on Middle Eastern issues, including combating terrorism and financing, preventing the proliferation of missile programs, refugee issues, and air security. Senior officials of the Islamic Republic had labeled the conference as 'failed' and a 'circus' even before it began. Khamenei also attacked Europe in his remarks on Monday, stating that 'the behavior and actions of the Westerners are literally deceptive.' He noted that 'the Americans' intentions are clear as they have drawn their swords,' but 'one must be cautious of the Europeans; they also act with deception.' Following the US withdrawal from the JCPOA, the European Union has recently held intensive negotiations to save the agreement and facilitate banking and commercial exchanges with Iran while announcing its commitment to the nuclear deal. Eventually, the three European countries negotiating with Iran announced on January 31 the official registration of a special financial mechanism for trade with Iran under the title 'INSTEX' (Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges). In recent weeks, Friday prayer leaders and several appointees of Ayatollah Khamenei have strongly criticized this special mechanism, with Sadegh Larijani calling it 'humiliating' and the approval of related bills in the Expediency Discernment Council facing difficulties. Khamenei stated in his remarks on Monday, 'I do not tell officials and government members what to do; however, they must sit down and think and act in a way that they do not fall for their deception.' He urged the officials of the Islamic Republic not to 'cause problems for Iran in the name of working for the country.' It seems his reference was to the demands of European countries regarding halting missile programs and joining the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Several European officials negotiating with Iran, including the German Chancellor, have recently stated that despite supporting the continuation of the JCPOA, Europe fully agrees with the US regarding concerns over missile activities and Iran's actions in the region. Iranian media initially reported Khamenei's remarks, but a sentence from him was omitted in later versions. According to deleted reports, the leader of the Islamic Republic stated in part of his speech on Monday: 'Some people who benefit from the country's security and carry out their work and sports and then break the salt shaker should know that security is achieved this way. Let us not forget how security is obtained.' He did not provide further explanation regarding those who 'work and play sports' and 'break the salt shaker.' Recently, Ali Karimi and Voria Ghafouri, former and current players of the Iranian national football team, have reacted critically to recent remarks by Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Foreign Minister, who stated he 'takes pride in defending the Palestinian people' and added, 'Today we are all under pressure.' However, Ali Karimi wrote on Instagram the next day: 'Mr. Doctor, which (we) are under pressure? (We) or (we) you exactly?'