Iran will only cooperate with the US if it abandons support for Israel: Khamenei

Iran will not cooperate with the United States unless it stops supporting Israel, said the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

He stated that Tehran would not engage in any form of cooperation with Washington unless the US ended its intervention in the Middle East and ceased its support for Israel, according to a report by TRT World on November 3.

Addressing a student gathering in Tehran, Khamenei said, “If they completely stop backing the Israeli regime, withdraw their military bases from this region, and end their interference here, then cooperation may be considered.”

He added, “The arrogant nature of the United States accepts nothing but submission.”

Khamenei made these remarks at an event marking the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran, following the Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the Western-backed monarch Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

In June this year, Israel launched unprecedented air strikes on Iran, sparking a war between the two nations. The United States briefly joined the conflict, targeting Iranian nuclear facilities. The attacks left 935 people dead in Iran and 24 in Israel.

Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes, leading to the collapse of ongoing nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington. A ceasefire between the two sides came into effect on June 24, mediated by the United States and Qatar.

Khamenei noted, “When a nation becomes powerful enough that its enemies realise facing it will bring them loss rather than gain, that nation remains secure.”

Since 2018, when the United States withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions, Iran has faced severe economic pressure. In September, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany initiated the ‘snapback’ mechanism, reinstating UN sanctions on Iran.

In a recent interview with Al Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran remains open to talks with the United States — but only on nuclear issues, not on missile capabilities.

He added, “When the United States is ready for dialogue based on equality and mutual interests, we will return to the table. They are not in a hurry, and neither are we.”