Iran: U.S. still pursuing regime change agenda

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that his country was under no illusion about Washington’s intentions of engineering “regime change” in Tehran, despite the recent progress in nuclear talks.

“American officials, in negotiations with the country’s (Iran) officials, say we are not after regime change in Iran but they are lying because if they had the ability to do this they would not hesitate one second,” the Ayatollah said during an address to Iranian Air Force commanders on Saturday in Tehran.

The message of Iran’s supreme leader was addressed as much to the Americans, as it was to those among the Iranian establishment who might be prepared to lower their guard, assuming the possibility of a turnaround in ties between Tehran and Washington, following the signing of the Geneva nuclear accord between Iran and the six global powers in November 2013.

Ayatollah Khamenei asserted that Iran was showing only tactical flexibility in its approach, rather than embarking on a strategic shift in its perception on the U.S. administration. “One can change the tactics, but principles must remain rock solid,” he observed.

Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that Iran’s economic problems would not be resolved by the lifting of sanctions. On the contrary, the “solution to our economic problems is not looking out and having the sanctions lifted ... My advice to our officials, as ever, is to rely on infinite indigenous potentials. Our (hostile) stance toward the U.S. is due to its controlling and meddlesome attitude”.

The Ayatollah’s remarks follow Washington’s decision on Thursday to penalise nearly three dozen companies and individuals in eight countries for evading Iranian sanctions.

The recent negative remarks by the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry following the visit of a 140 member French business delegation to Tehran is also casting its shadow on Tehran-Washington ties. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Marziyeh Afkham warned Washington not to harm on going nuclear talks between Iran and the six global talks that are slated, for another round, later this month.

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