Iran’s Khamenei: ‘The Americans Cannot Be Trusted’

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei  reiterated his distrust of the United States to the Iranian people on Monday and called for Iran to be self-sufficient in order to prevent reliance on Western powers.

“The Americans cannot be trusted and, in addition to the Americans, certain other western states are also the same; hence, we should put trust in our own abilities and the U.S. officials’ positions and performance is also a confirmation of the same fact,” Khamenei said, according to Iran’s state-run Fars News Agency and Rudaw.

Khamenei reportedly made those comments while addressing members of Iran’s cabinet and judicial officials. Additionally, he called for production in the industrial and agricultural sectors.

On February 18, the Supreme Leader also urged Iranians to use domestic products over foreign goods “in a completely zealous way.” Iran is currently seeing an influx of foreign companies seeking invest and introduce their products into the country.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Khamenei said:

When you use foreign products, you are actually helping foreign companies, workers and manufactures to increase their products. This will harm domestic production and it will lead to its failure. I am saying this to all the people, particularly those who are big consumers. This also includes government officials and employees. They too should use domestic products in their buildings and for their different needs.

During the Persian New Year last month, Khamenei sent a similar message about the “Great Satan” when he said the U.S. is still fundamentally hostile towards the Islamic Republic of Iran and warned Iranians not to trust their old enemy.

Additionally, he stated that the U.S. has “failed to live up to its commitments under the JCPOA” and alleged that they “prevented materialization of the objectives of the Islamic Republic of Iran through many diversionary ways.” Iran has already conducted two illegal missile tests. Last month, the U.S. and its European allies jointly penned a letter noting that Iran defied the United Nations Security Council resolution that endorsed the historic nuclear deal by conducting ballistic missile tests that were “inherently capable of delivering nuclear weapons.”

House Foreign Affairs Chairman Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) has expressed deep concern over the writing on the sides of those Iranian missiles. Ahead of the Persian New Year, he told Breitbart News that “Words to the effect of ‘Israel does not have the right to exist,’ or ‘will cease to exist'” are written on the side of those missiles. “And what also concerns me is that the chants of ‘Death to America,’ ‘Death to Israel’ are still being made by the Ayatollah.'”

Follow Adelle Nazarian on Twitter @AdelleNaz.