Khamenei: 'Death to America' Means Death to Trump, Bolton, and Pompeo

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, reacted on Friday, February 8, to the remarks made by the President of the United States during his annual speech to Congress. He stated, 'Death to America means death to Trump, Bolton, and Pompeo; we have nothing against the American people.' Donald Trump had said in his speech, 'We will not overlook a government that chants death to America and threatens the genocide of Jews.' In response, the Iranian leader explained that 'Death to America' refers to 'death to the rulers of America.' Khamenei also referred to the American regime as a manifestation of evil, violence, crisis-making, and warmongering, adding, 'As long as the American regime operates on the basis of evil, interference, malice, and wickedness, the slogan of death to America will not leave the mouths of the powerful Iranian nation.' Speaking to a group of commanders and staff of the Air Force and Air Defense of the Army, Khamenei advised officials not to trust European proposals for establishing a financial mechanism called 'INSTEX' or 'Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges.' He stated, 'I advise officials not to trust them; of course, we are not saying not to have dealings with them, but look at the Europeans with skepticism.' The INSTEX mechanism was officially registered last week but has not yet been implemented. Its execution requires Iran to meet the standards related to the FATF. The three European countries, Britain, Germany, and France, emphasized in a statement that they expect Iran to decisively implement all elements of the FATF for this mechanism to be usable. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif criticized the performance of European countries regarding the JCPOA, stating that they have 'fallen short' in fulfilling their commitments. Khamenei also referred to the nuclear negotiations with the P5+1 countries, saying, 'Regarding America, I repeatedly told officials during the nuclear negotiations... I do not trust the Americans, and you should not trust their words, smiles, and signatures. Now the result is that the officials who were negotiating back then say that America is unreliable. They should have recognized this from the beginning and acted accordingly.' Earlier this year, Khamenei admitted, 'In the JCPOA issue, I made a mistake by allowing our foreign minister to talk to them; we suffered losses.' He continued his criticism of Europe, stating, 'These same Europeans, who brazenly demand human rights from Iran, are sending armed forces against their own people in Paris and blinding them, yet they arrogantly demand from Iran. Should we tell them, do you even know what human rights are?' Khamenei's reference was to the widespread protests in France, where protesters known as 'Yellow Vests' have taken to the streets against the French government's policies. Two weeks ago, one of the leaders of the Yellow Vests was shot in the eye with a rubber bullet. The Iranian leader also addressed domestic issues in Iran, emphasizing that he is aware of 'the difficulties, inflation, and other problems,' but at the same time holds an 'optimistic view' of the country. According to Khamenei, 'People have grievances, dissatisfaction, and expectations, but no issue has ever caused the nation to turn away from its comprehensive support for the ideals and goals of the Imam, the revolution, and the system.' He also advised participants in the February 11 rally to refrain from chanting against responsible officials. Khamenei stated, 'Some may dislike a certain official for any reason or logic, but they should not turn the rally into a symbol of conflict and division by chanting against him, as this national movement should continue with grandeur and unity.' In recent years, there have been instances where some protesters have chanted against current or former officials in similar events. For instance, in July of this year, during the last Friday of Ramadan, known as 'Quds Day' in Iran, some attendees chanted against President Hassan Rouhani.