Iran’s supreme leader bans negotiations with the US

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks live on television after casting his ballot in the Iranian presidential election in Tehran June 12, 2009.

Mr. Khamenei didn’t indicate whether the ban on talks with the USA would affect implementation of the nuclear deal.

“Negotiation with America is banned because such negotiation will not only have no advantage [for Iran], but will also entail numerous disadvantages”, he said, according to the website.

The statements mark a sharp reversal after Iranian president Hassan Rouhani said last week his country was willing to talk with the US about managing the crisis in Syria. “Even during the nuclear negotiations they tried to harm our national interests whenever they had a chance”.

On Monday Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that the enemies are trying to influence young people to undermine their political and religious beliefs.

Khamenei also said Iranians advocating for closer relations with the United States were a minority, adding that they are “careless or a few simple-minded people who do not understand the facts” for Iran’s problems.

Iranians welcomed the agreement as it arranged for the lifting of worldwide sanctions against the country in exchange for the reduction of the government’s nuclear program.

The West feared Iran wanted to develop nuclear weapons, suspicions Tehran denies.

Khamenei – in a meeting with a group of commanders and staff of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy here on Wednesday – referred to “dangerous plots” of the “arrogant powers” for the region.

Two Lebanese sources told Reuters that the objective of the operation was to re-capture territory that had fallen from the hands of President Bashar Assad’s troops, into those of the rebels.