"Today, we are subjected to all three stages of colonialism. Today, the powerful and evil powers of the world have their eyes on the natural resources of countries and nations, they have malicious intentions toward their culture, their authentic culture, and also toward their national and Islamic identity. They aim to destroy these and take control of them,” Khamenei told a meeting of high-ranking state officials.
“Of course, they [the West] are not all the same, but at the head of them is America," Khamenei accordingly said.
He stressed that officials should be vigilant about those they are negotiating with. “We must open our eyes to these facts and be careful who we deal with and talk to.”
In an interview with Sky News on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi affirmed it will take more than “nice words” for Washington to “regain” Tehran’s trust and engage in negotiations, calling the situation this time around more challenging.
Khamenei earlier this month said that the US “will not give up” on attempting to weaken Tehran and gain influence over the country.
Responding to criticism regarding negotiations with European countries, Khamenei called the US different and said that negotiations are difficult but also said that Europeans are not “dear friends of Iran.”
The US in 2018 under Donald Trump’s first administration withdrew from the nuclear deal with Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and imposed biting sanctions on Tehran.
The JCPOA was signed between Britain, France, China, Germany, Russia, Iran, and the US in 2015, offering Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program to ensure it does not enrich enough uranium to develop a nuclear weapon.
Javad Zarif, a seasoned nuclear negotiator and Iran’s current vice president for strategic affairs in November said that Trump should not return to “the wrong policies” of his past term when he resumes office, referring to the heavy sanctions imposed on Iran.
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