Khamenei: American invasion not likely because of Iraq and Afghanistan failures

Iran's supreme leader says that a military attack is not a priority for the US; says Iran progressed in science and technology despite sanctions.

By ARIEL BEN SOLOMON, REUTERS
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (photo credit: REUTERS)
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday at a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of Grand Ayatollah Khomeini’s death that an American attack is not likely because of its failures in Iraq and Afghanistan and that it instead seeks to support coups and revolutions.
Tweeting some of the main points from his speech, Khamenei reiterated that the United States prefers to back local coups and revolts, saying that if a government comes to power with 60 percent of the vote, the US penetrates the remaining 40 percent with agents and “makes them take to the streets to overthrow [governments].”
He stated that the US “classifies the countries of the world into three categories: 1. The obedient, 2. Those that should be tolerated, 3. The disobedient.”
The second category is tolerated because of “common interests, but if it finds the chance, it [the US] ‘will stab [a] dagger into their hearts,” he tweeted.
The third category is countries that do not surrender to American bullying, he said, adding that the US uses “every means against the disobedient countries.”
Khamenei, seemingly referring to the ongoing Arab uprisings, claimed that intelligence agencies of the West have failed to suppress the growing “Islamic awakening.”
“The Islamic awakening might be suppressed in part of the Islamic world for a while but undoubtedly it would not be uprooted. It would keep growing,” he said, Iran’s Fars news agency reported.
The Iranian leader implied that the “awakening” was triggered by the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979 and its leader Khomeini.
For more than 30 years, said Khamenei, the West has been trying to contain the influence of the Islamic Revolution, but eventually the Islamic awakening bore fruits and created great waves across the region, Fars reported.
The supreme leader asserted that Iran is the preeminent power in the region, standing up alone to Israel.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has the first say when it comes to policy making in the region; it stands alone against the usurper regime [Israel] that is supported by the world bullying powers; it does not tolerate the tyrant while defending the oppressed,” said the Iranian leader.
Addressing large crowds near Khomeini’s shrine, Khamenei said the West had repeatedly targeted Iran.
“A strong Western front has been doing whatever is in its power for 35 years against the Islamic Republic. It has taken military action, aided military offenders to the country, supported the enemies of the Islamic Republic against it at every turn, made prolific advertisements against it, implemented unprecedented economic blockades and sanctions at the utmost level,” he said.