Valiati: Iran Has Never Been Optimistic About Americans

Shortly after the remarks of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic regarding the 'necessity of clarifying the statements of American officials,' Iranian news agencies reported the comments of his international advisor, emphasizing that 'Iran has never been optimistic about American officials.' Ali Akbar Velayati's statements, which were reflected in Iranian news agencies on Thursday afternoon, September 12, represent the first reaction from Iranian politicians to Ayatollah Khamenei's remarks. Velayati, speaking to reporters in Mashhad on the sidelines of the Razavi Book of the Year Festival, noted that 'we cannot hope for the goodwill of America and we are not optimistic about American officials.' The international advisor to the Supreme Leader added that 'if American leaders have taken steps to advance nuclear negotiations, it has been for their own interests.' These remarks are a direct response to the Supreme Leader's statements made on Thursday in a gathering of the Assembly of Experts, where he referred to the role of the U.S. in negotiations between Iran and six world powers, stating that 'in fact, our main party is the U.S. government, but American officials speak very poorly, and the nature of such speech must be clarified.' This position of the Iranian leader was also reflected in Velayati's comments, as reported by Mehr News Agency, where he recalled 'the history of U.S.-Iran relations' over the years since the victory of the Islamic Revolution, stating that this history 'has shown that one can never hope for the goodwill of America, and it is not surprising if the U.S. Secretary of State makes speeches and remarks against Iran.' IRNA also reported similarly, quoting the international advisor to Ayatollah Khamenei, who reacted to 'John Kerry's remarks about increasing pressure on Iran,' stating that 'the U.S. record in dealing with the Islamic Republic is very poor, so Mr. Kerry's remarks against Iran were not unexpected for us.' Velayati also pointed out that 'if we have achieved results in the nuclear negotiations, all of them are due to the efforts, dedication, and serious and persistent actions of our negotiating team.' 'The Americans were bullying in the negotiations.' Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, who is currently in New York, referred to the nuclear agreement as a test for America during his last day of travel. According to the House of the Nation news agency, affiliated with the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Larijani, in response to a question about whether the recent agreement paves the way for relations between Iran and the U.S., referred to Ayatollah Khamenei's remarks and stated that 'the nuclear agreement is a test for America, and we will decide based on the extent of America's adherence to its commitments and its future behavior regarding other issues.' Larijani also stated, 'My personal impression is that the Americans have bullied in these negotiations, but fortunately the Islamic Republic was able to incorporate some of its rights into this agreement, and overall these negotiations were positive.' The Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly elaborated on his view regarding 'American bullying in negotiations,' mentioning 'the long timeline for lifting sanctions' as one of the issues where he believes the Americans have 'bullied.' He also criticized U.S. policies in the Persian Gulf, stating, 'We pay attention to what some warlike American politicians sometimes propose, and that some American officials constantly threaten is not good for America's prestige; we know that someone who intends to go to war does not constantly make empty threats.' In this context, the Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC stated: 'American hostility towards Iran has increased.' Khamenei: 'American hostility has not decreased.' Zarif: 'It is still too early to reopen the U.S. embassy.' Response to Obama's article: 'Threatening to attack incurs international responsibility.' Khamenei: 'The U.S. sought to influence Iran through the nuclear agreement.' Velayati: 'Increasing Iran's capability to prevent U.S. influence in the region.' Afkhami's response to Obama's remarks: 'It is U.S. policies that need to change.' Obama: 'There needs to be a transition within Iran.'