Imam Khamenei: "No negotiations will take place between Iran, U.S. officials at any level"

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The first session of Ayatollah Khamenei's Dars-e Kharij lecture at the beginning of the new academic year of Howza was held with a group of scholars and seminary students of religious sciences in attendance, on Tuesday, September 17, 2019, at the Hussayniyah of Imam Khomeini (r.a.).

Referring to the deep and admirable awareness of the Iranian people in face of the conspiracies of the enemies in the past four decades, Ayatollah Khamenei considered the only cure for the country's problems relying on the people and youth and taking the internal capacities seriously, on Tuesday, September 17, 2019.

The Supreme Leader of the Revolution tapped on the new offer by U.S. officials for negotiating and stressed that by negotiations, the U.S. seeks to impose their demands on Iran and showcase the impact of maximum pressure on Iran. His Eminence added: The policy of maximum pressure on the Iranian nation is of little importance, and all the officials in the Islamic Republic unanimously believe that there will be no negotiations at any level with the United States.

Ayatollah Khamenei opened his Dars-e Kharij Fiqh session, marking the commencement of the seminaries’ academic year, by considering the mourning ceremonies for Imam Hussain (a.s.) in Muharram this year, more thriving than the previous years, and noted: This significant fact shows that the people's connection with the Ahlulbait (a.s.) is strong. So, despite numerous propaganda by enemies against the religion and despite the variety of entertainment and attractions for the youth, with the advent of Muharram, huge waves of people, often young people, move towards the tent of Hussein bin Ali (a.s.), and our nation advances under the patronage of Imam Hussain (a.s.).

Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized that the improvement of the affairs of the country and the solving of various problems lie in the hands of the people, and maintained: We should not incline to the foreigners, we should not place hope on foreign governments, we should not rely on relations with others.

The leader of the Islamic Revolution added: Of course, I do not mean that we should cut relations with other governments around the world; we favour relations and talks, yet, the affairs of the country should not be dependent on our foreign relations. Benefit from the facilities of the world, as much as you can, but the cure is inside the country, and the problems can only be solved by the people.

Referring to the new discourse and the new way that the Islamic Republic of Iran has opted for in the world, His Eminence called it impossible that the foreigners and the agents of the rotten Western capitalist system would welcome this honourable way, and added: They have done and continue to do everything they can to oppose us, but by God’s grace and power, their actions have had and will have no results; and the Iranian nation will overcome the enemies, especially the United States.

Ayatollah Khamenei cautioned everyone about the U.S.’s intention from proposing negotiations with Iran again and held: Everyone should know and notice that this is a trick.

Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the different positions by the U.S. officials regarding the negotiation and asserted: Sometimes, they say negotiations without prerequisites, other times, they say negotiations with 12 conditions. Such remarks are either due to their turbulent politics or a trick to confuse the other party. Of course, the Islamic Republic won’t be confused, because our path is clear, and we know what we are doing.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution described the U.S.'s goal by negotiation not as a just solution, but as a means to impose blatant demands, stating that: I’ve been repeating that the U.S. seeks is to impose, but they have become so insolent today that they are confessing to it themselves.

Referring to the recent remarks by a U.S. official who said ‘we should negotiate with Iran, and we should say so and so, and Iran must agree’, the leader of the Islamic Revolution held: For such negotiations, they should go to those who act as their ‘milking cows’. The Islamic Republic is the believers’ Republic, the Muslims’ Republic and the Republic of dignity.

Ayatollah Khamenei further elaborated on the United States’ goals in pursuing the maximum pressure policy and at the same time, trying to lure Iran to the negotiating table, saying: The U.S. pursues a policy of maximum pressure on Iran through various embargoes, intimidation, and distorted claims, because the current U.S. government believes that the Islamic Republic cannot be brought to its knees, humiliated, and made to submit, through any indirect approach.

Pointing out that the Americans and their allies have recognized that the maximum pressure policy has failed to bring Iran to its knees, Ayatollah Khamenei said: their goal of pursuing negotiation is to prove to everyone that maximum pressure has been effective, and the Islamic Republic officials were forced to sit at the negotiating table despite claiming that they would not negotiate. Thus, the only way of dealing with Iran is through maximum pressure.

Ayatollah Khamenei insisted: if the enemy succeeds in proving that maximum pressure is the only effective way of dealing with Iran, then Iran and our dear nation will never be left in peace. Because, this policy will become the default basis of every other oppressive policy of the US, and after that every time they make a new outrageous demand to the Islamic Republic, we would either have to accept and be done with it or say no and be subjected to maximum pressure anew.

He assessed the U.S.'s insistence on meeting and negotiation and the mediation by some Europeans regarding this matter as being part of the same policy and added: I will, of course, speak about the Europeans at another time, but they are insisting that a meeting with the U.S. President would solve all our problems, because they want to prove that the maximum pressure policy has been effective in dealing with Iran, and this policy must be pursued.

The Leader of the Revolution stressed: In return, we must prove that the maximum pressure policy has absolutely no value in the eyes of the Iranian nation.

Ayatollah Khamenei summarized his speech regarding negotiation with the U.S. in 2 points:

1) negotiating with the U.S. would mean accepting their terms being forced on the Islamic Republic;

2) negotiation would amount to a show of success for the U.S.'s maximum pressure policy.

His Eminence further held: It is for this reason that the country's officials, from the President to the Foreign minister and others, have unanimously announced that we would not take part in talks, be it bilateral or multilateral, with the United States.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution went on to assert: If the U.S. backs off and repents, and implements the nuclear deal from which they have withdrawn, then the U.S. can also take part in and talk during negotiations between Iran and the countries that are part of this deal. Otherwise, there will be absolutely no negotiation between the officials of the Islamic Republic and the U.S. at any level; neither in New York and not anywhere else.

Stating that for the past 40 years, the Islamic Republic has faced every possible conspiracy, and the enemies have not succeeded in defeating dear Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out: their policies have been overcome by the policies of the Islamic Republic one after another, and in the future too, the Islamic Republic will defeat them by God's grace, and will gloriously come out of the battlefield victorious every time.

....................................
End/ 257