Iran's Khamenei urges distrust of America, greater self-sufficiency

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated his distrust of the United States and the western powers on Monday.

"The Americans cannot be trusted and, in addition to the Americans, certain other western states are also the same; hence, we should put trust in our own abilities and the US officials' positions and performance is also a confirmation of the same fact," he said in an address to members of cabinet and judicial officials in Tehran on Wednesday according to Iran's Fars news agency.

He emphasized that Iran should be self-sufficient. "Production," he said, "should be given special attention in both the industrial and agricultural sectors.'

The Supreme Leader's comments follow other condemnations of the US last month where he said they have not lived up to their commitments under the nuclear deal alleging that they "prevented materialization of the objectives of the Islamic Republic of Iran through many diversionary ways."

Khamenei also said US concerns about Iran's ballistic missile program and related long-range missile tests are unfounded accusing the Americans of hypocrisy given the fact they have military forces deployed thousands of miles from the United States itself.