TEHRAN: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared on Monday that Tehran would only consider cooperating with the United States if Washington completely changed its regional policy including halting its support for Israel, withdrawing military bases from the Middle East, and ending interference in regional affairs.
If they completely abandon support for the Zionist regime, withdraw their military bases from the region, and refrain from interfering in this region, then cooperation can be considered, Khamenei said during a gathering with students in Tehran. The event marked the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the US embassy a symbolic reminder of decades of animosity between Tehran and Washington since the Islamic Revolution that overthrew the Western-backed Shah.
Khamenei lashed out at Washington, saying the arrogant nature of the United States accepts nothing other than submission, and reiterated that Iran’s strength lay in its resistance against external pressure. If the country becomes strong and the enemy realizes that confronting this nation brings loss instead of profit, Iran will gain true immunity, he added.
His remarks come amid heightened regional tensions following a 12-day war between Iran and Israel earlier this year. The conflict, which began after an unprecedented Israeli bombing campaign in mid-June, saw the US briefly join the fighting with strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks before a ceasefire was brokered on June 24.
The brief war derailed fragile nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington that had resumed in April, following years of diplomatic deadlock after the US withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord in 2018 and reimposed sweeping sanctions. In September, the United Nations reinstated sanctions under the “snapback” mechanism, triggered by Britain, France, and Germany.
Meanwhile, Iran’s new Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with Al Jazeera on Sunday that Tehran remains open to talks with Washington but only on its nuclear program. We are ready to negotiate whenever the Americans are prepared to engage on equal footing and based on mutual interests, Araghchi said, ruling out any discussion of Iran’s missile capabilities. Apparently, they are not in a hurry. We are not in a hurry either.
The comments highlight Tehran’s firm stance amid renewed Western pressure and suggest that any thaw in US-Iran relations remains distant without a fundamental shift in American regional strategy.