Khamenei Calls for Dollar Elimination in Meeting with Putin to Render US Sanctions 'Ineffective'

The leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday, November 1, during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, called for the elimination of the 'dollar' in bilateral and multilateral economic exchanges to make US sanctions 'ineffective.' Putin was in Tehran for a one-day trip to participate in a trilateral meeting involving Iran, Azerbaijan, and Russia, where he also spoke with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Khamenei stated that cooperation between Iran and Russia to jointly confront US sanctions against both countries is 'beneficial' and that 'we can make American sanctions ineffective and isolate the US through methods such as eliminating the dollar and replacing it with national currencies in bilateral or multilateral economic transactions.' Iran and Russia are under extensive US sanctions for various reasons; Iran due to the missile program of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and 'human rights violations,' while Russia is sanctioned for the annexation of Crimea and alleged interference in the 2016 US presidential election. Khamenei also highlighted the Syrian crisis as another area of cooperation between Russia and Iran, asserting that the results have shown that 'Tehran and Moscow can achieve common goals in difficult fields.' He labeled the US-led coalition against ISIS in Syria as 'supporters of terrorists' that have 'failed,' yet they continue to plot, thus indicating that a complete resolution of the Syrian issue requires continued robust cooperation. Tehran and Moscow are key allies of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, which has been embroiled in armed protests and civil war since 2011. The initial peaceful protests against Assad were met with suppression by the Syrian army, leading to armed conflict and the involvement of extremist groups. The Syrian civil war has resulted in nearly half a million deaths and displaced millions over the past six years. While the West seeks to remove Assad from power to resolve the Syrian crisis, Tehran and Moscow are his main supporters. Khamenei reiterated that the Syrian people are the 'final decision-makers' in this matter and emphasized that the Syrian government should not be 'pressured' to implement any plan. He praised Putin, calling him 'a person of strong character and decisive action,' suggesting that this is why cooperation with Russia as a great power on significant matters requiring determination and effort is logical. According to the Islamic Republic's leader's website, Putin also stated that the two countries have achieved 'very good results' in the Syrian crisis through 'joint cooperation.' He described 'the preservation of Syria's territorial integrity' and 'support for Bashar al-Assad' as 'principles of Russia's foreign policy,' asserting that 'any changes in any country, including Syria, must come from within.' He also referenced US sanctions against Russia, stating that 'relying on domestic capabilities' is the main policy of Russia in countering US sanctions. Putin added that 'some Russian producers and industrialists pray that US sanctions do not end, as they have drawn attention to their capacities.'