Supreme Leader Terms World Powers’ Changed Positions in Almaty Talks Unimportant

The Leader of Islamic Ummah and Oppressed People Imam Sayed Ali Khamenei underscored that the stances and positions adopted by the world powers during the recent talks with Tehran in Almaty, Kazakhstan, contained only minor and unimportant changes.

Addressing Experts Assembly members in Tehran on Thursday, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the westerners did not do something important; rather they admitted a small section of the Iranian nation’s rights.

He stressed that the next round of negotiations between Iran and the six major world powers of the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) will be a test of the of Western sincerity.

Iran and six world powers last week agreed on further meetings after two days of talks in Kazakhstan, the first since negotiations broke down in June, 2012.

During the talks Iran and the world powers agreed to hold an experts meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 17-18 and then continue their talks at the level of their top negotiators in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on April 5-6.

The Leader of Islamic Ummah and Oppressed People Imam Sayed Ali Khamenei also said that the enemies are angry at the Iranian nation’s wonderful breakthroughs after lapse of 34 years.

“One of the signs of hopefulness is the continuation of the nation’s progress,” he said, noting that problems will certainly be solved and there are numerous signs of hope.

“The Iranian nation’s dignity in the Islamic world, dominance of religious discourse in the society, scientific and technological progress, political and international influence of the Islamic establishment and justice-related infrastructural measures are among the wonderful instances of progress which were once considered impossible before the victory of the Islamic Revolution,” the Leader said.

The Leader of Islamic Ummah and Oppressed People Imam Sayed Ali Khamenei described nuclear issue a one of the challenges facing the Islamic establishment and said, “Of course the challenge has not been harmful to us and it will never be”.

Sanctions are among other challenges, the Supreme Leader said, noting that they were imposed on the country apparently due to the country’s nuclear program, but the main reason is a long-term objective sought by the westerners.

They want to pit the people against the ruling system through the sanctions, Ayatollah Khamenei said, adding that people’s massive turnout in rallies marking the victory anniversary of the Islamic Revolution revealed that their efforts were futile.