TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday branded new sanctions slapped on Tehran as ”confused acts” which showed the helplessness of world powers in dealing with the Islamic republic.
Khamenei’s remarks, which state television said were delivered to a gathering of university teachers, marked the all-powerful leader’s first reaction to the new UN punitive measures imposed on Tehran on June 9.
”Their confused acts to adopt the resolution and the unrealistic exaggeration of sanctions followed by half-baked military threats are indications of the helplessness of the arrogant order in facing the great and respectable movement in the Islamic world,” Khamenei said.
Steps such as sanctions, he said, were adopted as ”the emergence and the existence of the Islamic republic establishment is the main cause of current problems for the domineering order (world powers led by US).”
”That is the reason for their animosity to the Islamic system.”
The UN Security Council imposed a fourth set of sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend its uranium enrichment programme which world powers suspect is masking a weapons drive.
Iran says the programme is purely for peaceful purposes.