Khamenei: Mossadegh's Mistake Was Trusting America

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, emphasized the 'enemy' status of the United States, stating: 'Mossadegh's mistake after the nationalization of the oil industry was reliance, trust, and hope in America.' According to the website of Mr. Khamenei's office, on Tuesday, November 12, he criticized those who 'forget the enemy under the pretext of minor domestic issues' and said: 'This is why Imam repeatedly said, 'Shout as loud as you can against America.' These remarks by Ali Khamenei were made during a meeting with a number of his supporting students and pupils on the eve of November 13. November 13 marks the anniversary of the U.S. embassy takeover in Tehran by a group known as the 'Muslim Students Following the Line of Imam.' This day is officially registered in the Islamic Republic's calendar as 'Student Day and National Day of Struggle Against Global Arrogance.' The students and pupils who met with Ayatollah Khamenei noted that the U.S. embassy takeover in 1979 led to the United States cutting its political and diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic, after which economic and political sanctions against Iran began. In his remarks on Tuesday, the leader of the Islamic Republic praised this action, stating that documents from the U.S. embassy in Tehran after the takeover 'show that Americans were constantly plotting against the Islamic Republic during the height of the movement and the victory of the revolution {1979}.' Khamenei also reiterated his defense of the slogan 'Death to America,' saying that this 'slogan of the Iranian people has a strong and rational basis,' but 'it is clear that the meaning of this slogan is not death to the American people.' He explained that the slogan 'Death to America' has become a fixed slogan in government ceremonies across Iran since the establishment of the Islamic Republic, stating: 'This slogan means death to American policies, death to arrogance. This has a rational basis and is supported by our constitution and rational thoughts, and this issue is understandable for any nation.' In recent months, especially after the comprehensive nuclear agreement between the representatives of the Islamic Republic and global powers, Khamenei has repeatedly warned about America's 'influence' inside Iran. He believes that the 'hostility' of the United States towards Iran continues and does not end with the nuclear agreement. In his remarks on Tuesday, he also stated, 'Americans shed tears in front of the camera during negotiations under the pretext that they are against war,' but added: 'This is the same person who does not frown when Zionists tear hundreds of children apart in Gaza and today also attack in the West Bank in another way. Is crying in front of the camera considered a sincere act?' It seems that Khamenei's reference is to the remarks of Wendy Sherman, a senior U.S. negotiator in the nuclear talks with Iran and global powers, who spoke tearfully about the advantages of peace over war in response to John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State. However, the leader of the Islamic Republic deemed these remarks 'insincere,' stating: 'One of the actions of Americans in recent years is to force people to beautify America's face; to pretend that if Americans were hostile yesterday, they are no longer hostile today.' Khamenei believes that the goal of such an issue is to keep 'the face of the enemy hidden from the Iranian people, so they can stab them in the back.' He added: 'Some do this maliciously, and some do it out of naivety.'