Trump eager to meet Rouhani in New York: Ayatollah Jannati

TEHRAN - Assembly of Experts Chairman Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said on Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump is eager to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly which will be held from September 18-25.

Speaking at a session of the Assembly of Experts, Jannati said, “The Leader has repeatedly said that no official has the right to negotiate with the U.S. government and the cabinet members who will go to the United Nations should respect the Leader’s guidelines.” 

On July 31, Donald Trump offered to meet Iran's leaders with "no preconditions" and "any time they want".

"I'd meet with anybody. I believe in meetings," Trump told reporters at the White House.

In remarks on August 13, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said there will be no war between Iran and the U.S. and nor will be any negotiation between the two countries.

The Leader noted that as Imam Khomeini “banned talks with the U.S. and I also ban it”. He added that negotiation with the current U.S. administration is impossible. “Even if we were to negotiate with the U.S., we would never hold talks with the current U.S. administration.”

‘Turn sanctions into opportunities’

Ayatollah Jannati went on to say that the U.S. and its allies intend to harm the Islamic Republic system, however, Iran will resist and turn the sanctions into opportunities.

Elsewhere, he dismissed claims that the Leader is responsible for the current economic problems in the country.

He said some talk in a way as if “Majlis and government” have no authority.

The top cleric said it is a “vicious plot” by the enemy to attribute problems to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.
 
Despite all these claims, he said, Ayatollah Khamenei is seeking “implementation of plans in order to solve the country’s problems”.

He urged the Judiciary to immediately bring to justice those culprits who have caused disruption in the foreign currency market and caused price rises. 

The Assembly of Expert chief also said so long as officials do not take “revolutionary” decisions in management system such economic problems will persist.  

Europe following U.S. policy on Iran’s missile program

He also said though the European Union has not exited from the 2015 nuclear agreement it is following the U.S. policy in regard to Iran’s missile defense program.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the ayatollah praised the resistance of the Yemeni people against the Saudi-led war against their country, saying, “The resistance of the Yemeni people against the infanticide and savagery by the Saudis is laudable.” 

An airstrike from the Saudi-led coalition on August 9 struck a school bus in northern Yemen and killed dozens of people, many of them children.

According to the New York Times, the coalition said it had hit missile launchers and called the attack a “legitimate military operation,” but the attack and the justification for it were condemned and drew new attention to the tremendous human toll of the war in Yemen, especially on children.