ANKARA (Reuters) June 3, 2016 – Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Friday Tehran had no intention of cooperating on regional issues with its main enemies, the United States and “evil” Britain, state TV reported.
Khamenei also accused Washington of not being committed to a nuclear deal reached between Tehran and six major powers, including the United States, in 2015 that aims to curb the country’s disputed nuclear program.
“… It is a huge mistake to trust evil Britain and the Great Satan (the United States),” Khamenei said in a speech broadcast live on state TV.
“We will not cooperate with America over the regional crisis,” he said, adding that: “Their aims in the region are 180 degrees opposed to Iran’s.”
Following the end of the sanctions on Iran, the country has started to increase trade with the West. But some U.S. sanctions remain and U.S. banks remain prohibited from doing business with Iran directly or indirectly because Washington still accuses Tehran of supporting terrorism and human rights abuses.
“They use human rights, terrorism … as pretexts to avoid fulfilling their commitments,” Khamenei said.
“If we remain strong and united and revolutionary, those who are trying to bully Iran and are against us will not succeed,” he told a gathering to commemorate the anniversary of the death of the revolution’s founder, Khomeini in 1989.
Meanwhile, the State Dept. in its latest annual report identified Iran as the world’s ‘foremost state sponsor of terrorism in 2015’ through its provision of financial support, training and equipping of various extremist groups, notably Lebanon’s Hezbollah, as well as the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.