Supreme leader says US military bases, Washington’s regional ‘interference’ another block, but if removed, along with backing of ‘accursed Zionist regime,’ he would consider it
Cooperation between Iran and the United States is not possible as long as Washington continues to support Israel and to maintain military bases and interfere in the Middle East region, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday.
Khamenei’s comments came as US President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to increase pressure on Iran.
“The Americans sometimes say they would like to cooperate with Iran. Cooperation with Iran is not possible as long as the US continues to support the accursed Zionist regime, maintains military bases, and interferes in the region,” Khamenei said, according to state media.
“If they completely abandon support for the Zionist regime, withdraw their military bases from here (the region), and refrain from interfering in this region, then it (cooperation) can be considered,” said Khamenei.
“The arrogant nature of the United States accepts nothing other than submission.”
The remarks came during a gathering with students in Tehran marking the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the US embassy following the Islamic Revolution, which toppled the Western-backed Shah.
Trump, during a visit to Israel in October, told the Knesset that the US is prepared to make a deal with Iran when Tehran is ready to do so, saying: “The hand of friendship and cooperation [with Iran] is open.”
Washington and Tehran held five rounds of nuclear talks, prior to a 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June, which Washington joined by striking key Iranian nuclear sites long suspected to be part of a program geared toward developing nuclear weapons.
Tehran, which routinely calls for the destruction of Israel, maintains that its nuclear program is for purely civilian purposes. However, before the war, Iran had been enriching uranium to levels just below weapons-grade, which has no peaceful application.
Israel launched strikes, saying it was facing an immediate existential threat. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israeli military sites and cities.
A ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been in place since June 24.
Iran, which has also funded a network of terror groups that seek Israel’s destruction, has rejected the notion of normalizing its relations with Jerusalem.
Talks between Iran and the US have faced major stumbling blocks, such as the issue of uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, which Western powers want to bring down to zero to minimize any risk of weaponization, a plan that Tehran has rejected.
On Sunday, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian told state media that Tehran will rebuild its nuclear facilities “with greater strength” while claiming again that the country does not seek atomic weapons.
A day earlier, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has no desire for direct talks with the US over its nuclear or missile program and insisted that the Islamic Republic would not give up its ability to enrich uranium.
Trump has warned that he would order fresh attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites should Tehran try to restart operations at facilities that the US bombed in June.
