Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated that the Islamic Republic’s conflict with the United States is “inherent” and that no cooperation between the two countries could be considered until the US ceases support for Israel, removes its regional military bases, and stops exerting its influence in the region.
The Iranian autocrat’s comments came in a series of posts to X/Twitter on Monday.
“The US sometimes says it’s willing to cooperate with Iran. If they stop supporting Zionist regime, remove military bases from the area & stop interfering in the region, these matters could potentially be reviewed. This isn't something foreseeable for now, nor for the near future,” Khamenei wrote.
In a later post, the Ayatollah asserted that the basis of Iran’s conflict with America was more fundamental than a “disagreement in tactics.”
“It’s an inherent conflict,” Khamenei stated, “It’s a clash of interests between two currents: the US and the Islamic Republic.”
Khamenei justifies US embassy siezure
In separate posts to X on Monday, Khamenei wrote about Iran’s 1979 seizure of the American embassy in Tehran, accusing the Americans there of having been plotting to overthrow the Islamic Republic.
“Embassies gather information about the country where they’re located,” he wrote. There’s nothing wrong with that. But on Nov. 4, 1979, our youth seized the US embassy and found documents proving that it was a center for conspiring to overthrow the Islamic Revolution.”
Trump's failed attempt to reach a deal with Iran
Trump said in October that the US is prepared to make a deal with Iran when Tehran is ready to do so, saying: "The hand of friendship and cooperation [with Iran] is open."
The two countries held five rounds of nuclear talks, prior to a 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June, which Washington joined by striking key Iranian nuclear sites.
Talks between the two sides have faced major stumbling blocks, such as the issue of uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, which Western powers want to bring down to zero to minimize any risk of weaponisation, a plan that Tehran has rejected.
This is a developing story.