The Leader made the remarks during an address to thousands of people from the city of Tabriz, the capital of the northwestern Iranian province of East Azarbaijan, during a meeting in Tehran on Saturday.

Commenting on the United States’ proposal for bilateral talks with Iran, the Leader said that U.S. officials’ statements are not compatible with their actions, adding, “The Americans attribute inappropriate and untrue remarks to the Islamic Republic system and resort to sanctions and pressure to confront the Iranian people.”

He criticized the U.S. for claiming that Iran is not a democratic country and said that Iran “has one of the most transparent democracies in the region.”

He also stated that the West is trying to give the impression that Iran is seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, noting, “The Islamic Republic of Iran does not intend to produce nuclear weapons, and this decision is not due to the United States’ displeasure, but it is based on a belief that regards (the possession and use of) nuclear weapons as a crime against humanity. And while emphasizing that they should not be produced, it (Iran) seeks the abolition of nuclear weapons in the world.”

Ayatollah Khamenei has issued a fatwa (religious edict) declaring that the production, stockpiling, and use of nuclear weapons are all haram (prohibited in Islam).

The Leader added, “In Iran’s nuclear issue, the discussion is not over nuclear weapons, but rather they want to deprive Iran of its absolute and inalienable right to nuclear enrichment and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. However, they will not succeed in containing the Iranian nation.”

The main purpose of the recent U.S. overture for bilateral negotiations with Iran is to create a commotion about the Islamic Republic over its possible surrender, Ayatollah Khamenei stated, adding, “They are seeking to show Muslim and great regional countries that the Islamic Republic of Iran, with so much resilience and resistance, finally came to the negotiation and compromise table, ‘thus you have no option but to surrender.’”

Negotiations will get nowhere unless the U.S. revises its “illogical” attitude, he said. “Over the past 15 years, the Americans, emphasizing that dialogue is very necessary, urgent, and vital, called for talks about certain issues. One or two government representatives went and negotiated with them, but they broke off negotiations once they could not provide a response to Iran’s logical statements and gave the impression that Iran broke off the talks through using their international media network.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader commented on the sanctions imposed on the country over its nuclear program, saying, “They are under the illusion that the people have gotten fed up with the sanctions, and therefore, they will become eager for negotiations with the United States and will exert pressure on the country’s officials.”

“Actually, this (statement) is one of those deceitful remarks and shows that they are not seeking true and fair negotiations, but rather they are seeking the surrender of the Iranian people. But if the Iranian nation had wanted to bow down to the Americans, it would not have staged a revolution.

“The purpose of the sanctions, as they have repeatedly said, is to exhaust the Iranian nation and create a chasm between the people and the Islamic system. So, if negotiations are held but the people are still on the scene and assert their rights, the sanctions will remain in place.”

He went on to say that the assertion that “the pressure and sanctions will bring the people to their knees and will create a chasm between them and the system is completely wrong and is due to a poor understanding.”

The Leader added, “The sanctions are hurting the people, but there are only two ways to deal with them: either surrendering and repenting before the global tyrants as weak nations did or using domestic potential and forces and passing through the danger zone gloriously and strongly like the brave Iranian nation.

“Undoubtedly, the Iranian nation has chosen and will choose the second path, and, with God’s permission, they will turn the sanctions into a phase for further progress and prosperity.”

Ayatollah Khamenei also said, “The Islamic system and the Iranian nation, unlike U.S. officials, are advocates of logic. So if they see logical remarks and actions from the other side, they will respond appropriately.”

He added that the United States can show its goodwill by refraining from tyrannical and malevolent actions, respecting the rights of the Iranian people, refraining from interference in Iran’s internal affairs, which was obvious in the political unrest that occurred after the presidential election of June 2009, and refraining from incendiary actions in the region.

The Leader also noted, “If this happens and the Americans show in word and practice that they are not illogical, they will see that the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation are well-wishers and advocate interaction and logic.

“This is the only way to interact with the Islamic Republic, and, in this case, the U.S. government will receive an appropriate response.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader commented on a dispute between Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani during an open session of the Majlis on February 3 and advised the heads of the three branches of government to maintain unity.

“Unfortunately, in the incident, the head of one branch leveled allegations against the two other branches, namely the Majlis and the Judiciary, which was a wrong and inappropriate move that was against the shariah (Islamic law), law, and morality,” he said.

The Leader added, “The defense of the respected Majlis speaker was excessive and was not necessary.”

However, Ayatollah Khamenei stated that his own criticism of officials should not provide a pretext for others to chant slogans against them.

He was referring to the incident that occurred in the holy city of Qom on February 10, in which a number of individuals pelted Larijani with shoes and prayer tablets, forcing him to cut his speech short on the 34th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

5 Comments on "Iran’s Leader says U.S. will receive a proper response if it acts logically"

BillT on Sun, 17th Feb 2013 3:17 am 



And the beat goes on…

The Empire has come up against an ancient empire, the Persians, and is losing face with every passing day.

Isn’t it interesting that ALL of the Empire’s enemies now hold the upper hand? China, Russia, Iran, etc.

GregT on Sun, 17th Feb 2013 9:34 am 



And isn’t it interesting that most of them have their own central banks, not controlled by the IMF.

Arthur on Sun, 17th Feb 2013 10:42 am 



The US is not interested as it sees Iran as it’s safety valve in case of a financial meltdown at home. Nothing better than a war to distract from internal problems, just like in the case of this Argentinian junta that decided to invade the Falklands when they were back against the wall internally. And it worked temporarily until they were defeated because they could not lay their hands on a few more exocet rockets, otherwise the taskforce would have been sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic.

DC on Mon, 18th Feb 2013 3:26 am 



Funny thing in all this is, that Iran, is under zero obligation to talk to the US or its lackeys about its nuclear power station, or any other subject. It is doing nothing wrong. I wonder why the US is not ringing other countries with nuclear plants under construction with miltary bases and murdering there scientists? Why not say, Finland, or Russia, China? O well, for the last 2 examples, they are definitely trying to surround them with bases…

Best thing for the entire world is for the US to just hurry up and collapse allready.

Arthur on Mon, 18th Feb 2013 10:07 am 



When you spend as much on ‘defense’ (read: war preparation) as the rest of the world combined, than you are under the permanent temptation to harvest some return on investment and start wars all over the place. As DC says, from this perpspective, being forced to scale back on the military would be beneficial to all. Iran has an excellent track record when it comes to NOT starting wars for ages. Many countries have nuclear programs and are entitled to do so, like Iran. Iran signed the NPT and is not proven to be working on nukes. So there is no case for war or sanctions.