Khamenei: Trump and Biden Have Stripped America of Its Dignity
The leader of the Islamic Republic, in a meeting with commanders of the IRGC, referred to Trump and Biden as U.S. presidents who “have taken away America’s remaining dignity.” He asked officials to respond to the enemy’s “combined assault” using similar methods and not remain on the defensive.
The word “enemy” was the focal point of Ayatollah Khamenei’s remarks during his meeting with a group of officers and commanders of the Air Force. The leader of the Islamic Republic emphasized the need for a tit-for-tat response to the “enemy front” and moving beyond a defensive position. He said the enemy is waging a “combined assault” in the economic, political, security, media, and diplomatic spheres, and Iran must also engage in combined aggression in these same areas.
Khamenei particularly called for countering the “media assault” and considered efforts in this direction to be the duty of intellectuals and activists.
Contending that the younger generation is unaware of past history, Khamenei considered countering “glorification of SAVAK” or “distortion of facts” in the media to be an immediate and definite obligation.
Khamenei said: “Media dictatorship in the West is making maximum efforts to destroy the Islamic Republic.”
“America Being Struck”
On 19 Bahman of the year 1357, on the eve of the collapse of the Pahlavi regime, a group of air force pilots of the imperial army visited Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The image of that meeting has been used for extensive propaganda by the Islamic Republic for years.
Khamenei, praising the officers and pilots who turned their backs on the Shah’s army, said: “This action showed that the calculations of America and the cursed Pahlavi regime were wrong and they were struck from a place they never expected.”
He stated that today’s American calculations have also proven incorrect: “They are being struck from a place they never previously expected, and that is from their own presidents—that is, the previous and current U.S. presidents have essentially worked hand in hand through their actions to take away whatever remaining dignity America has left.”
The leader of the Islamic Republic did not elaborate further on the actions of Biden and Trump. Last summer, in a meeting with Raisi’s cabinet, he had also called America a “creditor,” “oppressor,” and “ravenous wolf.”
Khamenei’s harsh statements against America and its recent presidents were made simultaneously with the resumption of Vienna talks for reviving the nuclear agreement. In this round of negotiations, Tehran and Washington are negotiating indirectly with each other.
Source: DW
