The US secretary of state described the latest speech by the Iranian regime’s Supreme Leader’s as ‘troubling’ during which Ali Khamenei vowed his regime’s policy toward U.S. would not change.
Speaking with the Al-Arabiya television station on Tuesday, US John Kerry said: “I don’t know how to interpret it at this point in time, except to take it at face value, that that’s his policy.”
“But I do know that often comments are made publicly and things can evolve that are different. If it is the policy, it’s very disturbing, it’s very troubling,” he continued.
The Iranian regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Saturday the nuclear deal with world powers did not signal any wider shift in Tehran’s relationship with Washington or its policies in the Middle East.
U.S. policies in the region were “180 degrees” opposed to his regime, he said in a speech at a Tehran mosque punctuated by chants of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”.
“We will never stop supporting our friends in the region and the people of Palestine, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain and Lebanon. Even after this deal our policy towards the arrogant U.S. will not change,” he said.
Several Persian Gulf Arab states have long protested the Iranian regime’s interference, financial or armed support for proxy groups in countries including Bahrain, Yemen and Lebanon.