Khamenei: American Hostility Has Not Decreased

Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, in a meeting with members of the eleventh cabinet, called for the government of Hassan Rouhani to pay attention to what he referred to as the 'hostility' of the United States and Israel, emphasizing that this 'hostility' has not diminished. These remarks, published on Wednesday, September 4, on Khamenei's official website, contain references to the nuclear agreement between Iran and global powers. The Supreme Leader expressed concern about the potential 'indifference' of the country's officials to the 'goals of the enemies' and stated that he has 'worries' in this regard. Ayatollah Khamenei stated: 'From the beginning of the revolution until today, the enmity of the Zionists and Americans with the revolution and the Islamic Republic has not decreased, and this reality should not be diminished in the minds of officials in any way.' About ten days ago, Khamenei reiterated his positions against the United States, stating that America is seeking 'a way to infiltrate the country' through the nuclear agreement, and the Islamic Republic will not allow this infiltration. The Supreme Leader has not explicitly stated his opinion on the text of the Vienna nuclear agreement, although his previous remarks have included praise for the Iranian negotiating team. In his speech on Wednesday, he also referred to the nuclear agreement, stating: 'Ending the nuclear negotiations is one of the very important tasks that has been accomplished, and we hope that if there are some issues and problems in this area, they will be resolved.' Previously, Hossein Shariatmadari, Khamenei's representative at the Kayhan newspaper, stated that the Supreme Leader is not satisfied with the text of the nuclear agreement, which led to criticism from the cultural and social deputy of the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who stated that Shariatmadari insists on saying that the Supreme Leader thinks like him. Nevertheless, Khamenei has previously emphasized that the Islamic Republic's stance towards the United States has not changed even after the nuclear agreement. He stated: 'In any situation, we must be clear in adopting revolutionary positions and express the positions of the revolution and the principles of Imam [Ayatollah Khomeini] without fear and embarrassment in front of the enemy. If we become negligent, we will suddenly realize that the enemy has infiltrated in some areas and is engaged in dangerous cultural, economic, and political activities. Therefore, we must be completely vigilant.' These remarks come as Republicans and some Democrats in the U.S. Congress have opposed the Vienna nuclear agreement, and Congress will soon express its opinion on this agreement.