Khamenei Says Iranian Officials Should Not Consider U.S. Demands

The leader of the Islamic Republic called on Iranian officials not to consider the demands of the U.S. and Israel at all. Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday, January 8, in the presence of some supporters of the Islamic Republic, referred to the opinions of American politicians regarding Iran as 'unreasonable expectations' without mentioning details, and stated that if officials want to consider American interests, they have 'threatened the democracy and republic of the country.' These remarks come at a time when many political figures and activists have warned about the loss of 'democracy' and 'republic' in the Islamic Republic in recent years, holding the Supreme Leader responsible for it. Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic's confrontational policies against powerful countries, especially the U.S., as conveyed by Ali Khamenei, have been severely criticized by opponents, who consider them the main reason for sanctions against Iran. In response to these criticisms, Khamenei justified negotiations with European countries and the refusal to negotiate with the U.S. by claiming that before the revolution, 'the U.S. owned Iran,' and therefore its 'grudge' against Iran is a 'camel's grudge.' He accused his critics of being 'intimidated by U.S. policies' and stated that the U.S. has made 'miscalculations' both during and after the revolution. Throughout the leadership of Ruhollah Khomeini and Ali Khamenei, Iran has consistently opposed the U.S. and has only been willing to negotiate directly with the U.S. during very brief periods. In 2015, Iran reached an agreement regarding its nuclear program, known as the 'JCPOA,' with six world powers, including the U.S., leading to the lifting or reduction of sanctions against Tehran. The first Trump administration withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018 and intensified sanctions against Iran. Now, the second Trump administration is set to take office on January 20, and in addition to critics of the Islamic Republic, powerful voices within the government are calling for negotiations with the U.S. to reduce economic pressures and lift sanctions. Khamenei's emphasis on negotiating with Europe and warning against negotiating with the U.S. comes just five days before the continuation of a new round of talks between Iran and three European countries. According to the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, these talks are scheduled to take place on January 13 in Geneva, Switzerland, and what has been planned is only dialogue and consultation, not negotiation. The three European countries referred to are France, Germany, and the UK, known as the 'European Troika.' Last month, these three countries issued a joint statement expressing deep concern over the expansion of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile to 60% and called for Iran to return to its JCPOA commitments. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported on January 7, just two weeks before Donald Trump's return to the White House, that his administration plans to intensify sanctions along with military options against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Wall Street Journal wrote that Trump's team is considering further actions, including airstrikes, aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. According to this report, Iran has gone through a tough year in 2024, which has made Tehran 'extraordinarily weak' in the Middle East, and now, on the brink of the second Trump administration starting in 2025, an even tougher year is beginning for Tehran. On the same day, Khamenei emphasized the 'strengthening' of the Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) in Iraq during a meeting with the Iraqi Prime Minister, stating that Hashd al-Shaabi is one of the 'important components of power' in Iraq that 'must be preserved and further strengthened.' He also addressed the issue of Bashar al-Assad's fall in his meeting with Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, claiming without evidence that 'the role of foreign governments in these matters is quite evident.' The Supreme Leader had previously described the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime as a 'joint plan of the U.S., Israel, and a neighboring country' and warned in his meeting with the Iraqi Prime Minister that 'indications and evidence suggest that the Americans are trying to consolidate and expand their presence in Iraq, which must be firmly resisted.' Khamenei's reference to 'a neighboring country' is likely Turkey, as several regional experts have acknowledged that with the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government, regional developments have turned in favor of Turkey. Ahead of al-Sudani's visit to Iran, some Western media reported on pressure from Donald Trump, the elected President of the United States, on the Iraqi government to confront the Islamic Republic's proxy forces in the country, including Hashd al-Shaabi, and even to dissolve them, stating that the U.S. emphasizes non-interference of these forces in Syria's internal affairs. Official Iraqi sources have not yet published a report on the behind-the-scenes negotiations of al-Sudani with Iranian officials and his meeting with Ali Khamenei, but Iranian media have reported that he emphasized the necessity of non-interference in Syria and respecting the will of the people of that country in both his meetings with the Iranian President and the Supreme Leader.