In his first reaction to US President Donald Trump’s Oct. 13 speech on the new policy toward Tehran, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei slammed him for his tone, but stated that "we will not tear up the [nuclear] deal before the other party does so."
This is the first response since Trump’s speech of Iran's highest-ranking official. In his address about Tehran and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Trump decertified the Iranian government’s adherence to the deal and called for extensive sanctions against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Shortly afterward, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani stated that the JCPOA can’t be abolished by one certain signatory and the US Congress cannot unilaterally amend the accord as Trump instructed.
In a meeting with young academic elites on Oct. 18, Iran’s supreme leader referred to Trump’s address, saying, “The president of the United States displays nonsense; however, this should not lead us to ignore the mischief of the US regime. Everyone should be certain that the United States will once again be beaten and defeated by the Iranian nation.”
He added, “It would be a waste of time to respond to such blathering and nonsensical remarks by the foulmouthed US president."
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