Analysis by PMOI/MEK
Iran, November 26, 2020—After months, the Iranian regime’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei broke his silence on U.S. sanctions. He mentioned that people’s livelihoods are in a dire situation, and the coronavirus crisis has only added to this problem. An he clearly expressed his fear for a new possible wave of protests and sketched two paths as solutions.
Khamenei stressed that there are two ways, first “neutralizing and overcoming sanctions” and second “lifting sanctions.”
“We have tried once the path of lifting sanctions and negotiated for several years with no results. But neutralizing or overcoming sanctions, it may have difficulties and problems in the beginning, but a delightful end,” Khamenei said.
“We have a lot of capacity and ability to neutralize sanctions as long as we decide to do so and work and get into the struggle,” he concluded.
A glimpse at previous years
What does Khamenei really mean by capacity? He just reiterated the same repetitive words such as “budget deficit,” “government investment and public institutions,” “boosting of production,” and “support for the poor segments.” Repeated several times in the past years, these slogans have either had no substantial outcomes or have resulted in the people’s lives become more miserable.
However, Khamenei did not talk about the “resistance economy” and the growth of national industries as he constantly did before.
In recent years, Khamenei repeatedly insisted on his old plan of a “resistance economy” where ordinary Iranians pay the price of the regime’s hegemonic ambitions while the few ruling elites enjoy their luxurious lifestyles. But now Khamenei refused to repeat the phrase "resistance economy," which has become a joke by the state media.
Khamenei also attacked three European countries, Germany, France, and the UK on the issue of Iran’s missile program.
“While they have unjust interference in the affairs of the region, they tell us not to interfere, and while Britain and France have destructive nuclear missiles and Germany is on this path, they tell us not to have missiles,” Khamenei said.
This is the basis on which Khamenei rejects negotiations and a new agreement on his regime’s nuclear program.
Back in February 2018, before the U.S. withdrew from the nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), France tried to bring the issues of Iran’s missile program and interference in the region to the negotiation table and keep the U.S. in the deal. But during the visit of then French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, which was supposed to be the prelude to French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Tehran, the regime refused to set aside its missile activity and meddling in the region.
As a result, Macron refused to visit Tehran and failed to persuade the U.S. to stay in the JCPOA. The U.S. withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018 and imposed fresh sanctions to cut off funding of the regime’s malign activities. However, Khamenei had previously described negotiations with the U.S. as “poison” and said that there will neither be war and nor he will negotiate.
But the question is why Khamenei has kept silent to this day to talk about this sensitive issue. The answer will soon be revealed.
