Khamenei: Iran must stand strong against US in region’s conflicts

Iran’s supreme leader and the commander of its Revolutionary Guards pledged Sunday not to work with the US in resolving regional conflicts.

In an address Sunday to commanders of the elite Republican Guards force, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the Islamic Republic must stand strong against Washington.

“The Americans insist we negotiate with them on regional issues, especially on Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen,” Khamenei said in the speech, which was published on his official website.

“What is their main goal for requesting these talks? They have no aim but to prevent the presence in the region of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the main factor in America’s failures,” said Khamenei.

Major generals Mohammad Ali Jafari, the Revolutionary Guards chief, and Qassem Suleimani, head of its foreign operations wing, the Quds Force, were among hundreds of commanders who attended the speech.

“Rest assured that the root of the evil tree which wants US policies to penetrate the country will be cut and the Islamic Revolution will go through the third stage of its development through the supports and guidelines of the Commander-in-Chief of Iran’s Armed Forces (Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei),” said Jafari, according to the semi-official Fars News Agency.

Khamenei, whose country has not had diplomatic relations with Washington since 1980, stressed that military power and intimidation were the most effective means to keep foreign threats at bay.

“In past years, some officials have said the removal of military threat and war were due to certain measures, but it’s not true,” he said.

“The sole factor of removing military threats has been and will remain military and defense power and the creation of fear in the enemy.”