Khamenei: The enemy cannot bring Iran to its knees in the nuclear issue

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, on Tuesday, December 4, a day after the deadline for nuclear negotiations was extended, stated: "The enemy could not bring the Islamic Republic to its knees in the nuclear issue and will not be able to do so in the future." Ali Khamenei also emphasized that "arming the West Bank will definitely take place." According to the IRNA news agency, Mr. Khamenei, during a meeting with participants of the World Congress on "Extremist and Takfiri Movements from the Perspective of Islamic Scholars," said: "The United States and European colonial countries gathered together to bring the Islamic Republic of Iran to its knees in the nuclear issue, but they could not and will not be able to in the future." Ali Saidi, Khamenei's representative in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, stated on Monday, December 3, that the Iranian nuclear negotiating team has adhered to the strategic principles set by the Supreme Leader. Khamenei had previously emphasized that he is not optimistic about Iran's nuclear negotiations with the 1+5 countries but does not oppose them either. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, following the seven-month extension of negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear program, told reporters that Tehran is striving to reach an "understanding" in the shortest possible time, stating, "I feel that to reach a political framework for an agreement or a comprehensive agreement, at least four months will be needed." Zarif mentioned that looking back at the past year, no one could have even "dreamed of such a situation in reality." John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, said on Monday that Iran and the P5+1 made significant progress in negotiations for a comprehensive nuclear agreement, but despite new ideas being presented, discussions will remain challenging in the coming months. In his continued remarks on Tuesday, the Supreme Leader stated: "As previously announced, the West Bank must be armed and prepared for defense, and this will definitely happen." He added: "The Islamic Republic of Iran is not trapped by limitations and religious differences, and just as it helps the Shia Hezbollah in Lebanon, it will also assist Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other Sunni groups in Palestine and will continue to do so." The Supreme Leader called for "decisive and armed resistance" against Israel before its "destruction" and stated that Palestinians must arm the West Bank just like Gaza. Khamenei made these remarks in response to the recent war between Israel and Hamas. The West Bank is under the control of the Palestinian Authority, unlike Gaza, which is controlled by the Islamist movement Hamas. The Palestinian Authority recognizes Israel's existence and seeks to establish two independent states of Israel and Palestine alongside each other, while Hamas does not recognize Israel. The Supreme Leader accused the ISIS group and the governments he claims support it of serving the U.S., Israel, and European countries under the guise of Islam. He explained his claim by saying: "The Islamic Awakening was an anti-American, anti-dictatorship movement against America's puppets, but the Takfiri movement turned this massive anti-imperialist movement into a civil war and brother-killing among Muslims." The Supreme Leader had previously stated: "Shia and Sunni should not help the enemy by insulting each other's sanctities; if someone stirs up trouble in this regard, they will certainly be helping the wicked U.S., Britain, and Zionism, who are the creators of ISIS and Al-Qaeda." These remarks come as some clerics close to the Supreme Leader, including Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi, whom Khamenei referred to years ago as the "Mottahari of the time" and urged the youth to utilize his thoughts, have repeatedly made statements against Sunnis. Khamenei called the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition a "complete lie." This comes amid heavy airstrikes by the U.S. and its allies in the "anti-ISIS coalition," which have killed hundreds of members of this group and prevented its advance in parts of Iraq and Syria.