30 years of the wise leadership of Ayatollah Khamenei (2)

Welcome to the second and concluding part of our special feature on the 30th anniversary of the election by the Assembly of Experts of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei as the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, following the departure from the mortal world of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (God’s mercy upon him).

Two factors are important in the success of a person. First, personality traits and secondly environmental factors. Some of the experts consider the first factor namely the personality abilities and privileges more important and influential. The more important post a person has, the greater the role played either by his talents or weaknesses that become manifest in his performance. Accordingly, Ayatollah Khamenei has over the past three decades proven that he possess outstanding characteristics, which have been tested in crucial events, and are evident by his wise decisions and actions.

If we want to mention the most important attribute of the Leader, we must point to spirituality, worship and faith in God. In fact, virtue is one of the conditions of Velayet-e Faqih or Governance of the Supreme Jurisprudence, as per the constitution of the Islamic Republic. Thus, members of the Assembly of Experts, in view of the piety and ethical virtues of Ayatollah Khamenei, elected him as the worthy successor of Imam Khomeini.

Hojjat al-Islam Mohammadi Golpayegani, the head of the Leader's office, says: vigilance and being awake in the greater part of the night are some of the extraordinary characteristics of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution. Most of the night, Ayatollah Khamenei is engrossed in prayer, supplications and other acts of worship, before catching some sleep. He wakes up before the morning Azan to perform ‘Tahajjod’ or the late midnight prayer. As a devotee of the Ahl al-Bayt (or Blessed Household) of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny), Ayatollah Khamenei, who is a Seyyed or descendant of the Prophet, is spiritually connected to the Immaculate Lady Hazrat Fatema Zahra (peace upon her) and the Lord of the Age, Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance for end of corruption and oppression on Earth and establishment of the global government of peace, prosperity and justice.

Undoubtedly, the piety of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution inspires the people of Iran, in addition to help him carry out his duties with the Grace of God. Spirituality means to lead a simple-life that is far removed from luxuries. Ayatollah Khamenei, despite the fact that he is the first person in the country, his living standards are lower than most of the people, and he emphasizes the avoidance of luxuries and even the use of certain items which many people use. In particular, he is especially careful not to involve in his personal life any items of Bayt-ol-Maal or the public treasury. This simple lifestyle can be seen in the simplicity of the meetings he has with foreign dignitaries and Iranian officials, as well as with people of various strata of the society. Many visiting leaders and presidents of other countries, after meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei, are surprised at his simple life. The virtuous and simple life of Ayatollah Khamenei has increased his popularity among the people.

The people's love for Leader of the Islamic Revolution is not one-sided, and is reciprocated by Ayatollah Khamenei, as is evident by his speeches and policies. He always defends the rights of the people and reminds the officials to look into the situation of poor and deprived people. No leader in the world has meetings with the common people as much as Ayatollah Khamenei. In these meetings, in addition to providing guidelines, he also listens to their pains and tries to alleviate their sufferings.

An example of Ayatollah Khamenei's defense of the rights of the people is to emphasize the right to hold various elections and protect the people's vote as trusteeship because he believes: The election is really respect for the people's vote; respect for the recognition of the people. Paying attention to the role of the people in the government is based on the theory of the popular system of religious rule.

Among the various strata of the people, Ayatollah Khamenei has a special role for young people as the future hopes of the country. He believes in the exuberance of youth in continuing the path of the Islamic Revolution. For this reason, he always encourages officials to use young and motivated forces as much as possible.

Another principle of the leadership of Ayatollah Khamenei, which is also considered the defense of the rights of the people, is the emphasis and commitment to law enforcement. The Leader believes that "nothing is higher and dear than law." And on that basis, the leader stipulates that everyone must submit to the law and act in order to ensure justice. Meanwhile, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution also expects the government and other government institutions to properly fulfill their legal obligations and, if they are violated, they should be dealt with through respective channels.

Ayatollah Khamenei is one of those who fought for victory of the Islamic Revolution, and after establishment of the Islamic Republic, he has been working on various positions to maintain and consolidate its foundations. For this reason, he deeply believes in the ideals of the Islamic Revolution and considers their full implementation necessary for the material and spiritual progress of the people and the country. In the last thirty years, the leader of the Islamic Revolution has set goals such as independence, freedom, justice, spirituality, development and investigating the situation of the deprived people and the like on the agenda, and provided the necessary guidance to the officials in each section.

One of the important ideals of the revolution, based on Islamic values, is the support of the poor and the deprived, which is stipulated in the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Ayatollah Khamenei has always been paying particular attention to defending the oppressed nations and, in this regard, supports the people of Palestine, Yemen, Bahrain and other areas. He also has detailed information about global affairs and events that is well known in his meetings with the heads of different countries as well as speeches. Recognition of the enemies and their tricks are another feature of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, which shows his vigilance and intelligence, and over the past thirty years, has rid the country from significant dangers. Like Imam Khomeini, he considers the US as the archenemy enemy of the Iranian nation and calls the Zionist regime a threat to Iran and the Islamic world. He believes that Muslims should be free from the domination and influence of the West, especially the US, and therefore he pursues seriously the unity of the Ummah. Such traits of leadership are in accordance with the final ayah of Surah Fath which says:

"Muḥammad, the Prophet of Allah, and those who are with him are hard against the faithless and merciful amongst themselves."

One of the valuable characteristics of Ayatollah Khamenei's leadership is hope for the future, despite the difficult world conditions and internal problems. This view is, according to the holy Qur’an, that whoever helps the religion of God, God will help him, and the promise of God is true. Ayatollah Khamenei emphasizes: "We were not disappointed for a moment from Divine Help, and I hope that we will not be disappointed for a moment in the future also."

30 years of the wise leadership of Ayatollah Khamenei (1)

On the 30th anniversary of the election by the Assembly of Experts of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei as the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, following the departure from the mortal world of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), we present you a special two-part article on the status of leadership in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Now we have part one of this article as follows: 

Leadership has a special status in the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is the system of government based on popular religious rule. The person to serve as the Leader of the country should be a top religious scholar, well versed in Islamic sciences, aware of political and social issues, courageous, and with a flawless moral record. The Late Imam Khomeini, as initiator of the dynamic concept of Velayat-e Faqih or Governance of the Supreme Jurisprudent, bequeathed to the nation and the world the rules of governance of the society by the most qualified person of his times, in the absence of the Lord of the Age, Imam Mahdi (AS), the 12thand Last Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny), who is awaited as the Redeemer of Mankind for establishing the global government of peace, prosperity, and justice.

In the first decade of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini played the role of helmsman of a ship, ably guiding Iran towards security and consolidation by weathering the plots of the anti-revolutionaries and the Americans, as well as the 8-year war imposed by the US through Saddam of the repressive Ba’th minority regime of Baghdad. Each of these political crises, economic sanctions and military offensives failed to undermine the Islamic revolution, because of the prudence and political acumen of Imam Khomeini, who stabilized the Islamic Republic system. The unique role of Imam Khomeini made enemies of Islamic Revolution think that after him, the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic will come to its end. They were proved wrong. Imam Khomeini’s foresight had established such a strong and stable system, that it was important for any event to derail it.

The constitution of the Islamic Republic which is based on the Holy Qur’an, the Sunnah of the Prophet, and the guidelines of the Infallible Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt, set in motion such a perfect mechanism that the next Vali-e Faqih or Supreme Jurist, as the Leader of the country, is determined through the vote of the the Assembly of Experts, which is a highly qualified body of ulema, elected through public ballots. This ensured that there will never be any leadership vacuum in the Iranian society. The Assembly of Experts within less than 24 hours after the passing away of Imam Khomeini, took a historic decision by electing Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the then president of the Islamic Republic as the Vali-e Faqih and Leader of the Islamic Republic and the Islamic Revolution. He was not voted to the post of Vali-e Faqih because he was the president, but because he was a fully qualified jurisprudent, aware of political and social issues, flawless of moral characteristics, frank, forthright, and courageous in the face of enemies and their plots.

Ayatollah Khamenei proved a worthy successor to Imam Khomeini, as is evident by his role over the past three decades in guiding the country on the path of progress and protecting it from the plots of both the internal and external enemies. For the past 30 years, much to the chagrin of the Great Satan, the US, and the client regimes in the region, as well as the anti-revolutionaries who want to sell out the country to the superpowers, he has shown profound wisdom and prudence in defeating all sorts of plots. The various elections in the country, as envisaged by the constitution, such as presidential, parliamentary, assembly of experts, and town and urban councils, have continued to be held under his supervision, will full freedom for the people, based on Islamic teachings. This is proof of the dynamism of the Islamic Republic system and the astuteness of the Leadership.

In the current turmoil in the region, the Islamic Republic of Iran stands as the land of stability and the people of various walks of life, are living in security, thanks to the insight of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. He has ensured that the unique system of government based on popular religious rule is exemplary and is serving as a model for people of the neighbouring countries aspiring to determine their own destiny by breaking free of the shackles of dictatorship and the deceit of western liberal democracy, as advocated by their enemies, especially the US.

It is worth recalling that in 1989 on hearing news of the passing away of Imam Khomeini, the enemies were delighted at this bitter incident were seeking to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran. At that time the Voice of America said with joy "The death of Ayatollah Khomeini will definitely lead to instability in Iran, and some predict that the situation would probably fuel the flames of civil war.”

The US and its satanic aspirations were proved wrong as Ayatollah Khamenei ably took over the leadership as one of the most outstanding disciples of Imam Khomeini. As a matter of fact, the Late Imam, though he did not express his opinion publicly, had told his close confidantes, including Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani that Ayatollah Khamenei is the hope of the future for guiding the Islamic Revolution and Iran. The opponents of the revolution, however, tried to undermine the position of the Leader on the assumption that Ayatollah Khamenei did not have popular support and the ability to continue the path of the Imam. They were disappointed when the Iranian people, including scholars, senior officials, senior jurisprudents, and various organs declared  their allegiance and full support for the leadership of Ayatollah Khamenei as the successor to Imam Khomeini. For his own part, Ayatollah Khamenei, who is gifted with sharp intellect, insight, foresight, political prudence, and economic acumen, proved to the main factor in stabilizing Iran and the status of leadership.

In his first speech as the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei said:" We have made a covenant with God to follow the path of Imam Khomeini, which is the path of Islam and the holy Qur’an and the path to the dignity of the Muslims, and we will not give up any of the ideals drawn by the Imam.” A glance at the thirty years of leadership of Ayatollah Khamenei shows that not only has he continued the way of Imam Khomeini, but has managed to materialize many of the lofty objectives of the Father of the Islamic Revolution despite the many difficulties and obstructions that have taken place.

In this period of ups and downs, the authority of Iran and the strengthening of the organs within the system have increased. This authority is due to the economic, political, scientific, cultural and military achievements and, in particular, internal unity and solidarity. The leader of the Islamic Revolution in the past three decades has succeeded in keeping people and political currents unified around the axis of the values and goals of the revolution. He also supported officials with different viewpoints, but noted in various ways their mistakes and misconduct. One of the issues that the Leader has always emphasized is to reform the country's economic structure and move seriously towards the economy without dependence on oil revenues. He has proposed the “Economy of Resistance”, saying such an economy is based on knowledge, expertise, technology, national interests, and social justice. The materialization of the objectives of this plan could safeguard Iran against the plots of its enemies.

Thus, over the past thirty years, despite the economic sanctions and political pressures, the Islamic Republic of Iran has had significant success in helping deprived people in remote areas, increasing agricultural production, livestock, industrial and mineral resources, but according to the Leader, these developments should further be expanded.

Ayatollah Khamenei's emphasis on science and technology has inspired the nation to make spectacular progress in fields such as medicine, nanotechnology, nuclear technology, stem cells, aerospace and many other fields. Interestingly, most of these successes are due to the reliance on young experts who are always encouraged and supported by the leader. Meanwhile, in the past three decades, there have been a number of dilemmas and problems within the country that the leader has resolved with intelligence and sharpness. In this relation, we can mention the differences of political currents that were occasionally misused by the enemy. As in the 2009 presidential elections, Western regimes sought to exploit the inflammatory atmosphere resulting from the baseless allegation of fraud in counting votes. Despite the fact that they mobilized all their political, propaganda and intelligence capabilities for this, the wise decision of the Leader nullified this dangerous conspiracy.

With the guidelines of Ayatollah Khamenei as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, over the past thirty years, despite sanctions and threats, Iran has become one of the top military powers in the world. Iran now produces various types of missiles, drones, ships, submarines, tanks, airplanes, air defense systems and electronic warfare and other light and semi-heavy weapons with the help of its highly skilled specialists. The presence of these diverse and advanced weapons, available to hundreds of thousands of trained, brave and motivated forces, has made the enemies set aside the plan to invade Iran. In the field of foreign policy, Ayatollah Khamenei has laid emphasis on three principles of dignity, wisdom and goodwill as guidelines. The anti-oppression campaign and the defense of the oppressed people, which are the principles of Islam and the revolution of Iran, have always been taken into consideration by the Leader. In this regard, support for the oppressed people of Palestine, Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Bahrain and some other places is on the agenda of Iran's foreign policy.

Iran 40 years after victory of the Islamic Revolution (12)

For the past 40 years, there has been held one election almost every year in Iran. This clearly shows the popular base of the Islamic Republic system.

Historians and sociologists maintain that excessive concentration of power in the ruling system and undermining of people's role were the barriers on the way of political development in the 20thcentury. The hereditary system of government throughout centuries had caused the people lose their trust in the ruling system. The concentration of power in the hands of a specific group deprived the society of criticizing them.

The victory of the Islamic Revolution, however, ushered in a new era of political participation based on the role of the people via a referendum to determine the type of the system. Generally speaking, there are two theories on the value of public votes. The first theory believes that, within the Islamic rules and codes, public participation and referring to the votes of the majority to determine every political establishment is a religious obligation. Thus, in some cases direct election turns into indirect election such as election of the leader which is done by the Assembly of Experts who are elected by people. Another example for indirect election is the vote of trust to ministers which is carried out by parliamentarians who are themselves elected by the people.

The important point is that, according to this theory, every manifestation of political behavior in the religious popular rule, is somehow based on public participation and votes.

The second theory on the value of public votes maintains that referring to the votes of majority is limited to just a few cases and manifestations of political behavior. Thus, experts and religious scholars are capable of distinguishing proper political behavior in accordance with the Islamic codes and rules; hence there is no need for public participation in these cases. As per this theory, public participation is restricted to ordinary cases like election of MPs. Nevertheless, this theory is not compatible with the Islamic Republic Constitution. A brief glance at the ideas and practice of Imam Khomeini also reveals that he believed in the first theory and maximum participation of the people in the affairs of system. In response to a question on the aim of the Iranian nation's struggle, he said, "The aim was Islam and of course, Islam contains every concept which is called democracy." This means that religious popular rule and establishment of the Islamic government is in the heart of Islam.

In short, the ultimate fruit of popular rule is the public right to participate in decision-making in public affairs of the society. This right includes deciding the form of the political system, granting legitimacy and power to it, approval of desired laws and regulations, and election of rulers and executive power.

In view of this, Imam Khomeini would stress the role of public participation, saying, "If people vote to the experts to determine a just Mujtahid for leadership of their rule; once they determine a person a leader, he is definitely accepted by the people. Thus, he is the people's elected Vali-e Faqih and his ruling is legal."

Article 107 of the Constitution says, "After the Grand Source of Emulation and Great Leader of the Global Islamic Revolution and Founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah –ul-Uzma Imam Khomeini, who was recognized and accepted by decisive majority of the people as the Leader and the Source of Emulation, the determination of the leader will be incumbent upon the people's elected Experts who examine and consult on all jurisprudents who are qualified according to the articles 5 and 109."

It is asserted in articles 5 and 109 that the elected leader will have authority of leadership and responsibilities pertaining to it; while he is equal before the law with every individual in the country. Next time we will continue the discussion.

Islamic Republic's achievements in 4 decades (1)

People and government play the key role in every country's progress and development. If the performance of these two is coordinated, they can be hopeful of achieving their goals. But if the people do not matter for the government they won't have a practical role in the future of the country.

Before the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian people's role was insignificant in the administration of the country, policies and the decisions. The despotic Pahlavi regime, due to being installed by the British and supported by the US, was dependent and relying on foreign aid rather than the grassroots support. Hence, it would suppress any effort by the people to have a chance of making decisions in cultural, political, social, administrative and other domains. Thus, it was natural that real progress would never take place and the conditions of the people would deteriorate on a daily basis. As the people had grown weary of the regime's despotism and corruption, they launched an uprising under the leadership of Imam Khomeini and overthrew it and replaced it by a popular system of government. In the referendum for determining the form of government, over 98% of the Iranian nation voted for the Islamic Republic system. Now, 40 years after the resounding triumph of the greatest revolution in the 20th century, the Islamic Republic has proved its efficacy in various domains in spite of all-out 8-year war, economic sanctions, political pressures and media hype.

The Iranian nation pursued numerous objectives in their uprising against the despotic Pahlavi regime, which were summarized in three demands, namely, independence, freedom and Islamic government. The Islamic Republic is, no doubt, the greatest achievement of the Islamic Revolution. This popular system of government has by far exceeded the criteria of the western democracy and has in fact marginalized it as it is popular and democratic in the real sense of the word. The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei, says, "We brought a novel experience. We adopted democracy from religion. Our democracy is accompanied by spirituality and religion; hence it became religious popular rule. It became the Islamic Republic."

Another important principle in the Islamic Republic is "Vilayat-e Faqih" which pertains to the leadership of the system. This leader enjoys certain criteria and specifications. The Islamic Republic of Iran's Constitution has mentioned the characteristics of Vali-e Faqih (supreme jurisprudent). They are piety, justice, courage, management, prudence, awareness of domestic and foreign political issues and mastery of Islamic sciences. The most important responsibility of the leader is to determine general policies of the system and supervise their proper implementation. His other responsibilities include appointment and dismissal of some of the political officials like the judiciary chief and IRIB president and military commanders of the army and the IRGC. The leader is the Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces. He also deals with the differences among three branches of government and solves them.

Vali-e Faqih as the leader of the Islamic Revolution is appointed by the Assembly of Experts who are in turn elected by the people's votes. The Assembly of Experts supervise his performance and have the authority to dismiss him in case of any mistakes or loss of the ability and conditions for leadership. The 4-decade experience of the Islamic Republic clearly shows that the leader plays the prime role in preservation of the system, the rights of the people and resolving the internal and external problems. The Islamic Revolution granted the Iranian nation freedom in various fields. The Iranian nation had been suppressed for centuries, especially during the Pahlavi regime. Any dissent would be quenched and opponents would be jailed, tortured and murdered. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, people are free to hold legal gatherings and meetings and express their opinion in various matters. They elect the officials of the country including the president, members of parliament and city councils. They also elect the members of the Assembly of Experts who appoint the leader.

Through the 4 decades of the Islamic Republic, 36 elections have been held including 3 referendums, 12 presidential elections, 10 parliamentary elections, 5 Assembly of Experts elections, 5 elections for city and village councils and an election for the Constitution. The massive turnout of the people at ballot boxes indicates that they use the best opportunity that the Islamic Republic has granted them to determine their fate. Moreover, religious minorities, as part of the Iranian nation, enjoy freedom and have representatives in the parliament. Besides, they can perform their rituals and political and social activities freely.

As for the media, the Islamic Revolution has granted freedom to the media to express their ideas and criticize the officials. Plus, after the Islamic Revolution, the written and audio-visual media have dramatically increased in number.

Independence was another demand of the Iranian nation in their revolution. This stemmed from the fact that the former regime was fully dependent on the US and it took no decision without the Washington's information beforehand. There were almost 50 thousand American spies and CIA operatives in the country who were euphemistically called as "advisors". They had full control over every aspect of the government and the army. Other countries like Britain, France and Germany were also complicit with the US in plundering the resources of Iran. Even the fabricated regime in Tel Aviv was engaged in looting the resources of the country. This was very humiliating and the nation couldn't tolerate it. The Islamic Revolution cut off the hands of the US and other foreign powers which intended to control the whole affairs of the country. The Islamic Revolution became a role model for other nations who seek to come out of the yoke of domineering powers and determine their affairs independently. Now, the Islamic Republic of Iran, relying on the votes of people, administers the country without foreign interference and this has infuriated the western colonialists, especially the Great Satan the US. Plus, Iran continues taking independent stances strongly in accordance with its national interests and support of the oppressed and downtrodden people in the world. In article 152 of the Constitution it is stressed that, "The Islamic Republic of Iran's foreign policy is based on negation of any dominance and acceptance of dominance, preservation of all-out independence and territorial integrity, defence of the rights of all Muslims, non-commitment against domineering powers and mutual peaceful relations with non-hostile governments."

Opposition to the US's and Zionist regime's domineering and warmongering policies and support for nations like Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen are carried out on the basis of this article.

The Islamic Revolution, immediately after the victory materialized the major ideals of the people such as independence and freedom as Imam Khomeini said beautifully, "The Dawn of the Revolution is the rising of the Sun of independence and freedom." This is also made clear in article 9 of the Constitution, "In the Islamic Republic of Iran, freedom, independence, unity and territorial integrity are inseparable from each other and it is the duty of the government and each individual of the nation to safeguard it."

Leader Urges Unity in Face of All-Out Economic, Media War on Iran

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei warned of a massive propaganda campaign mounted by the spy agencies of the US and Israel, coupled with an all-out economic war on the Islamic Republic, and urged stronger national unity in the face of enemy plots.

In a meeting with members of the Assembly of Experts on Thursday, Ayatollah Khamenei stressed the need for unity and cooperation between people and the administration, calling on the domestic critics to try to improve the situation with good conscience and avoid fueling the hostile media war on Iran.

“Today, the Islamic Establishment is faced with an all-out economic war, which is being controlled from a war room carefully and vigorously; but besides this war, a major media and propaganda war is also underway which is generally neglected,” the Leader said.

Ayatollah Khamenei added that Iran has evidence that the espionage services of the US and the Zionist regime of Israel have set up organizations with the financial support of rich regional countries to poison the minds of Iranian people.

The Leader said the hostile media war against Iran has played a role in the recent chaos in the gold coin and foreign currency markets and plummeting value of the country’s currency, stressing that the propaganda is aimed at creating anxiety, disappointment and pessimism in the society.

Warning against the spread of “pessimism virus” in the society, Ayatollah Khamenei underscored that critical voices and expression of problems should not exaggerate the shortcomings, but build people’s hopes up and offer practical solutions.

The Leader finally reiterated the Islamic Republic’s progress and forward movement despite all hostile moves, saying Iran has made scientific and industrial advances and has grown in the spiritual and intellectual aspects.  

In comments on August 13, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the economic problems are not wholly caused by the foreign sanctions, but a series of internal issues and mismanagement are also to blame.

Pointing to devaluation of the Iranian money in recent months, the Leader had said some of the problems are caused by imprudence and mismanagement, irrespective of sanctions.

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.