Khamenei’s remarks following several weeks of silence showed the regime has no way out of the deadly impasse it currently faces
The remarks today, August 13, 2018, by the regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, after weeks of silence in the face of the growing tide of popular uprising and the free fall in the value of the Iranian currency, Rial, demonstrated that he has no solution to, or an exit strategy out of, the deadly impasse engulfing the entire regime.
While trying to prevent the spreading demoralization within the regime’s rank-and-file, Khamenei said, “Some wickedly propagate that the country is at an impasse and that there is no way out other than reaching out to some Satan or the Great Satan. Whoever says we have reached an impasse is either ignorant or his remarks are treasonous.”
In a pathetically desperate attempt to cover up the widespread corruption within the regime, he added, “Some go too far in their remarks, calling all as corrupt, by referring to the term systematic corruption… Some are careless in their remarks and writings. One cannot extend corruption in some agencies or among some people to the country as a whole.”
Pretending ignorance over the plunder of the Iranian people’s wealth by the regime’s officials and wasting them on the unpatriotic nuclear and missile programs as well as foreign warmongering, Khamenei laid the blame for the catastrophic economic situation in Iran on his president, Hassan Rouhani. In criticizing the government’s lack of readiness to deal with the sanctions, he said, “Most of the recent economic problems are due to the measures are taken within the country. If actions are taken more efficiently, more prudently, more swiftly and more firmly, sanctions cannot have much effect.”
Khamenei also tacitly blamed the government for the plunder of “18 billion dollars of the country’s existing currency” and warned that the Judiciary will deal with “those who caused the fall in the value of the national currency.”
Although he personally oversaw the nuclear negotiations with the P5+1, Khamenei said, “On the issue of the negotiations, I made a mistake and because of the officials’ (Rouhani and Javad Zarif) insistence I allowed to test this. But the specified red lines were crossed.”
Yet, terrified that any change in the status quo would expedite the explosive state of society, Khamenei said, “Those who say the government must be dismissed are playing into the enemy’s plans. The government must remain in place and carry out its duties in resolving the difficulties with strength.”
He was also compelled to break his silence regarding the new wave of protests in the country and described them as “August incidents, which despite enormous financial and political investment by the enemy turned out to be very limited.” The week-long antigovernment protests in many Iranian cities, including Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan, and Mashhad, with the chants of “death to Khamenei,” “death to the dictator,” again demonstrated the Iranian people’s determination to overthrow the ruling regime.
Admitting that his regime is in an extremely vulnerable and fragile state, Khamenei said “We will not negotiate with America”, adding, “We can enter into the dangerous gambit of negotiating with America only when we have reached the economic, political and cultural prowess which we envision…. But, negotiating now will certainly be to our detriment and is prohibited…. Even if we were to negotiate with the Americans, this being an impossible assumption itself, we would for sure never negotiate with the current (U.S.) government.”
As such, Khamenei again made it clear that any change in the behavior of this regime would result in regime change.
By completely rejecting any possibility of a war, Khamenei burst the bubble of those who have attempted to portray a decisive policy vis-à-vis this terrorist regime as going to war. Khamenei said, “They raise the specter of a war. But there will be no war. There will definitely be no war.”
The war scare propagated by some is a desperate attempt to save the mullahs’ regime from being overthrown by the Iranian people who yearn for democracy and popular sovereignty in place of the ruling theocracy.
At a time when in their protests the people of Iran are chanting “leave Syria alone, think of us,” Khamenei said, “We have helped the two friendly countries, Syria and Iraq in the face of threats by America and the Saudis,” emphasizing the regime’s continuing and criminal meddling in the Middle East region.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
August 13, 2018
