Ayatollah Khamenei Calls for Muslim Coalition Against US
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said that Iran has resisted “bullying” from the United States for years and called on other Muslim nations to unite against these “enemies,” Reuters reported Thursday.
“The Iranian nation has successfully resisted bullying attempts by America and other arrogant powers and we will continue to resist… All Muslim nations should stand united against America and other enemies,” Khamenei said, according to state media.
These comments from Iran’s leader follow President Donald Trump’s stern warning to Iran to never threaten the United States with nuclear weapons.
“If Iran threatens us in any way, they will pay a price like few countries have ever paid,” the president said during a White House news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Trump also took aim at the Obama administration’s 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which he said has “decayed foundations” and “should never have been made.”
“No one knows what I am going to do on May the 12th,” Trump continued, referring to the deadline for him to decide whether or not to re-approve the Iran deal. “Although you, Mr. President (Macron), have a good idea but we shall see.”
Khamenei also responded to Trump’s remark that Middle Eastern nations “wouldn’t last a week” without U.S. protection.
“Such remarks are humiliation for Muslims,” Khamenei said. “Unfortunately there is war in our region between Muslim countries. The backward governments of some Muslim countries are fighting with other countries.”
Iran has been pressing for the U.S. to remain in the nuclear deal — known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Earlier this week, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif urged President Trump to keep the United States a party of the deal, saying it’s “all or nothing.”
“European leaders should encourage President Trump not just to stay in the nuclear deal, but more importantly to begin implementing his part of the bargain in good faith,” Zarif said Monday.
President Macron is correct in saying there's no "Plan B" on JCPOA. It's either all or nothing. European leaders should encourage President Trump not just to stay in the nuclear deal, but more importantly to begin implementing his part of the bargain in good faith.
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) April 23, 2018
He said that if Trump does choose to withdraw, it will isolate the U.S.
“Everybody has advised the administration that this is not a bilateral agreement between Iran and the United States and withdrawing from it would be seen by the international community as an indication that the United States is not a reliable partner,” Zarif told CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
“It would not be pleasant for the United States — the reaction of the international community, and as I said Iran has many options and those options are not pleasant.”
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, said he expects that Trump will pull out of the deal, unless something changes.
“I do think if nothing changes with the three European members we’re dealing with right now on a framework,” Corker said on ABC’s “This Week” Sunday. “I do think he will move away from the agreement on May 12.”
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
