Iran to continue backing resistance forces in the region, says Khamenei

ANKARA: Iran´s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Friday that Iran had no intention of curbing its influence in the Middle East and urged Arab youth to stand up to US pressure.

“Young Arabs, you should take action and the initiative to control your own future . . . Some regional countries act like their own people´s enemies . . . We will continue to back oppressed nations and resistance forces in the region,” Khamenei said in a speech, broadcast live on television.

Iran´s top leader said it would respond harshly to any attack and that Western demands for limits on its ballistic missile programme are a “dream that will never come true”. “Some Europeans are talking about limiting our defensive missile programme. I am telling the Europeans, ´Limiting our missile work is a dream that will never come true,” he said in a televised speech.

Trump also objected that the 2015 deal did not address Iran´s nuclear work beyond 2025 or its role in conflicts in Yemen and Syria. Though committed to the deal, European powers share Trump´s concerns and want broader talks with Iran to address the issues.

“Our enemies have staged economic and psychological ... warfare against us and new American sanctions are part of it,” Khamenei told a gathering to mark the 29th anniversary of the death of Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. “Tehran will attack 10 times more if attacked by enemies . . . The enemies don´t want an independent Iran in the region . . . We will continue our support for oppressed nations,” he said. Khamenei said Iran had no intention of curbing its influence in the Middle East and urged Arab youth to stand up to US pressure. “Young Arabs, you should take action and the initiative to control your own future . . . Some regional countries act like their own people´s enemies,” he said in an allusion to US -allied Gulf Arab states who have supported rebels fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a close ally of Tehran.

In another development, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a meeting on Monday that Iran´s activities in the Middle East are a concern, particularly for Israel´s security. “We agree that the question of Iran´s regional influence is worrying, especially for Israel´s security,” Merkel told a joint news conference with Netanyahu after a meeting in Berlin.

IAEA head calls for ‘timely’ cooperation from Iran: The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog called Monday on Iran to ensure “timely and proactive cooperation” with inspections mandated under the 2015 deal with world powers over its nuclear programme.

Speaking at the first meeting of the IAEA’s board of governors since US President Donald Trump threw the future of the deal in doubt in May with his decision to withdraw, Director General Yukiya Amano said the agency had had access to all sites in Iran that it needed to visit and that “Iran was implementing its nuclear-related commitments”.