TEHRAN: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday ruled out any cooperation with the United States as long as Washington continues to support Israel, adding that cooperation with the US would only be possible if it ends support for Israel.
“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,” he said.
On the eve of November 4, designated as “Student Day and the National Day of the Fight Against Global Arrogance,” Ayatollah Khamenei addressed thousands of students and families of war martyrs in Tehran.
He marked the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran, calling it a historically significant and identity-defining event.
In June, the US conducted strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities that Washington says were part of a programme geared toward developing nuclear weapons. Tehran says that its nuclear programme is for purely civilian purposes.
The 12-day conflict with Israel, during which Iran launched missile and drone strikes in response, disrupted the nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington that had started in April.
A ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been in effect since June 24. “If the country becomes strong and the enemy realises that confronting this strong nation will not yield profit but will bring loss, the country will certainly gain immunity,” Khamenei added.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera that Iran had “effectively managed” the June war with Israel and prevented it from escalating across the region.
“Iran is fully prepared for any new confrontation,” Araghchi said, adding that Israel would face “another defeat” if hostilities resumed.
He confirmed that some Iranian nuclear sites had been damaged during the war but said the country’s enrichment technology remained intact.
Iran suspended full cooperation with the IAEA following the June war with Israel and the United States, during which several of its nuclear facilities were hit.
