Armed with Rifle, Ayatollah Khamenei Reiterates Opposition to America

In a speech on July 18, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei simultaneously offered indirect support to the nuclear agreement finalized last week between Iran and the P5+1 powers (US, France, United Kingdom, China, Russia, and Germany) and said that Iran would continue to oppose all US policy in the Middle East. Khamenei, who was speaking after a prayer marking the end of Ramadan, said that US “actions in the region are 180 degrees different from ours.”

In his speech, Khamenei emphasized that Iran has “no negotiations with America about various global and regional issues. We have no negotiations on bilateral issues.” He voiced support for Iranian-backed terrorist groups, such as Hezbollah and the “honest fighters of Lebanon and Palestine”.

Speaking with an assault rifle by his side and from a podium decorated with the phrases “We will trample upon America” in Farsi and “We Defeat the United States” in English, Khamenei said that “even after this deal our policy toward the arrogant US will not change.” His speech was interspersed with chants from the audience of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”

United States Secretary of State John Kerry, who was closely involved in the nuclear deal negotiations, responded to Khamenei’s comments, saying, “I don’t know how to interpret it at this point in time, except to take it at face value, that’s his policy. But I do know that often comments are made publicly and things can evolve that are different… If it is the policy, it’s very disturbing, it’s very troubling, and we’ll have to wait and see.”

Khamenei’s comments should absolutely be taken at face value. As the unelected Supreme Leader, he does not need to answer to a constituency; he says and does as he wants. He routinely encourages the Iranian public to hate the US, and he tweeted out a nine-step plan to bring about the elimination of Israel last November.

In the US, Congress still has time to review the nuclear deal. Should it choose to pass a motion of disapproval, President Obama has promised to use his veto power to overturn the motion. However, a two-thirds majority opposition in the House of Representatives and the Senate would override the veto and dismiss the deal.

Khamenei’s speech should be understood as Iran’s promise to openly defy US interests. It can be further understood as an assurance that Iran will defy the terms of the nuclear agreement. The deal is already going to put money and weapons directly into the hands of a violent regime, and Congress must realize that Iran would willingly attack the US. It is not a friendly regime, and in the interest of US safety and security, Congress must pass a motion of disapproval and override President Obama’s veto.