Ayatollah Khamenei: US made grave 'miscalculation' about Iran over past decades

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the United States has, on most occasions, committed mistakes concerning its attitude towards Iran throughout the past decades.

Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks during a Wednesday meeting with people from the north-central Iranian city of Qom on the occasion of the anniversary of a January 9, 1978 uprising in support of the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini that preceded the 1979 victory of the country’s Islamic Revolution.

“Under the [regime of Iran’s former] Pahlavi [monarchy], the country used to serve as a formidable fortress for American interests,” the Leader noted.

“It was from the heart of this fortress that the Revolution was born and bubbled up. The Americans did not realize [this], were duped, lagged behind, and became oblivious,” Ayatollah Khamenei remarked.

The Leader described the issue as “the Americans’ miscalculation” vis-à-vis Iran.

“After the Revolution, the Americans perpetrated mistakes concerning Iran throughout these several decades on most occasions,” Ayatollah Khamenei observed.

The Leader said his remarks were mostly addressed towards those “who are intimidated by the US’s policies.”

Ayatollah Khamenei, however, dismissed existence of much of a cordial relationship between the Iranian nation and some European states.

The Leader differentiated, though, between Iran’s relationship with the European countries and the US.

“The US has lost a massive political and economic wealth as a result of Iran’s Revolution. And it has expended much fortune over the past 40-odd years towards taking Iran out of the Islamic Revolution’s grip,” the Leader noted.

“And it has failed to do so,” Ayatollah Khamenei remarked, adding, “The US is after making up for its defeat. Therefore, it resorts to whatever sort of enmity towards Iran that it can.”

Ayatollah Khamenei said Washington had incurred “profound rancor” towards Iran.

“The US had brought Iran under its possession, but the country was wrested out of its grip and control. Therefore, its grudge towards the Islamic Republic and the Revolution is long-standing,” the Leader noted.

“The US [however] would not let go easily either. It has suffered defeat in Iran, and seeks to make up for this defeat.”

Ayatollah Khamenei’s remarks were meant as a  response to questions posed by some about why Iran would negotiate with the Europeans, but was not prepared to enter negotiations with the US.

Observers describe the Islamic Revolution as a force that took the global anti-colonial movement to the next level, calling it a symbol of the fight for a just and multipolar world order.

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