Iran has signaled willingness to limit its enrichment, but rejects US-Israeli terms for a complete surrender of the nuclear and missile programs
News Desk - The Cradle
Khamenei’s warning also coincided with a continued US military buildup in the region and followed numerous US threats.
“It seems that the President of the United States constantly repeats that our army is ‘the strongest army in the world.’ The strongest army in the world may sometimes receive a blow such that it cannot rise from its place. They continuously say that we have sent an aircraft carrier toward Iran,” the supreme leader said.
“Well, an aircraft carrier is a dangerous device, but more dangerous than it is the weapon capable of sinking this carrier to the bottom of the sea,” he added.
Khamenei also mourned the civilians and security officers killed by Mossad-backed rioters during the unrest early last month, while condemning the “seditionists” supported by foreign powers.
“Except for the seditionists, their leaders, and those who took money or weapons from the enemy, all others – security forces, passersby, and even those who moved a few steps with the seditionists – they are our children. We ask mercy and forgiveness for them; they made mistakes, and may God Almighty forgive their errors.”
The speech came as negotiations were beginning in Switzerland. Once again, talks will be indirect and mediated by Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidy.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is heading the Iranian delegation, while envoy Steve Witkoff and unofficial presidential advisor Jared Kushner are leading the US team.
Washington, reinforced by Tel Aviv, has been demanding that Tehran give up its entire nuclear program, severely restrict its missile program, and halt all support for resistance groups.
Iran has signaled a willingness to potentially limit enrichment in previous negotiations, as it agreed to in the 2015 deal, which US President Donald Trump scrapped during his first term.
In an interview with BBC on 15 February, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi – who is negotiating alongside Araghchi in Geneva – stated that Tehran had offered to dilute its 60 percent-enriched uranium in an effort to reach a compromise
Yet the Islamic Republic refuses to give up support for its allies and says its missile program – a major part of the country’s defense – is non-negotiable.
Trump has publicly issued numerous threats against Iran since Mossad-backed anti-government riots erupted in early January, killing thousands, including civilians and security forces.
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier has recently arrived in West Asia with several accompanying warships. Washington has also deployed additional fighter jet squadrons to the region and is deploying a second aircraft carrier.
Tehran has vowed that it will strike Israel and US military bases across the region if Washington decides to bomb the Islamic Republic.
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