Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Monday called on the United States to leave the Middle East, as the two countries engage in indirect negotiations centered on Tehran’s nuclear program.
“With the determination of the countries in the region, America must leave the region—and it will leave,” he declared during a speech to Iranian educators in Tehran.
Negotiations mediated by Oman have been underway since April 12, with the goal of reaching a new agreement on Iran’s nuclear activities.
Khamenei also strongly condemned US support for Israel in its ongoing war in Gaza against the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. “Trump claimed he wanted to use force to bring peace, but he lied,” Khamenei said, referring to the approach taken by the former US administration.
“He, his officials, and the US government used their power to support the massacre in Gaza,” he added.
He reiterated his harsh rhetoric against Israel, calling it “a dangerous and deadly cancerous tumor in this region that must and will be uprooted.”
In contrast, during a recent visit to Saudi Arabia, Donald Trump criticized Iran’s leadership and regional influence. “Iran’s leaders are focused on stealing wealth from their people to fund terrorism and bloodshed abroad,” Trump said during an investment forum.
Khamenei dismissed Trump’s remarks, calling them beneath response. “The level of his comments is so low that they are a disgrace to him and a shame to the American people,” he concluded.
