Velayati: US Officialsˈ Nasty Remarks Indicate Their Defeat

Tehran, Feb 8, IRNA – Advisor to the Supreme Leader in International Affairs Ali Akbar Velayati, reacting to new stances of certain US officials, said whatever the Americans cannot do in practice, they express through their nasty remarks of their low-ranking officials. On the eve of the 35th anniversary of Islamic Revolution victory, Velayati, in an exclusive interview with IRNA on Friday, expounded on a number of Iran’s foreign policy principles after the victory of revolution and reacted to remarks of certain American officials. Referring to stances taken by a number of the US officials in the past days, the advisor stressed that Iran is certainly the strongest country of the region with a high international influence on political, security and defensive affairs and many other fields and that the American officials have no good reputation among Iranian people. On the future talks of Iran and Group 5+1 on nuclear issue, Velayati, who is also Head of Strategic Research Center of Expediency Council, said that Iran will not withdraw from its nuclear rights and the talks will continue under the condition of good will of the other side. He added that all the achievements and successes of Iran’s nation are the result of our policy of ˈneither East, nor Westˈ. To a question on expansion of international and economic interaction between Tehran and the European Union, and the remarks of certain US officials on these relations, Velayati underlined that era of taking such stances has ended and that Iran by a correct policy and in the framework of viewpoints of the Supreme Leader continues its direction. Velayati also referred to Iran’s foreign policy concerning defending oppressed people of Palestine as one of the axes of foreign policy after the Islamic revolution, adding that the issue of Palestine is important for Iran because of two reasons: First, Iran’s security necessitates confrontation with the occupying and warmongering regime of Israel, which wants to expand its territories; we logically cannot allow it to be present in border areas and commit its plots. Second, as an Islamic state, we cannot witness that a part of Islamic world to be in the hands of an occupying regime with ominous goals for countries of the region, which can be a serious threat to security of the country and the region./end