Khamenei vows Iran will not bow to US pressure

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called on the nation to remain united in the face of what he described as American efforts to weaken and dominate the Islamic Republic.

Speaking during a Sunday address at a mosque in Tehran, Khamenei accused Washington of exploiting the recent war between Iran and 'Israel', in which the United States briefly took part, to undermine Iran’s government. His remarks were later published on his official website.

Khamenei argued that the rare 'Israeli' and US strikes in June, which targeted nuclear facilities and triggered Iranian retaliation, were part of a broader plan to destabilize the state. “The day after Iran was attacked by the Zionist regime, American agents gathered in Europe to discuss what government should rule Iran after the Islamic republic,” he claimed.

He went on to accuse the US of seeking to make Iran “obedient to it,” but said the country had emerged from the 12-day war, its fiercest direct confrontation yet with 'Israel' and the US, stronger than before.

“The Iranian nation, by standing firm alongside the armed forces, the government and the system, delivered a strong blow” to its enemies, Khamenei said.

The Supreme Leader also warned that Iran’s adversaries were attempting to stir unrest from within. “The way forward for the enemy is to create discord,” he said, blaming “agents of America and the Zionist regime” for trying to sow division.

Still, he insisted, “today, thanks to God, the country is united. There are differences of opinion, but when it comes to defending the system, defending the country, and standing up against the enemy, the people are united.”

Relations between Tehran and Washington remain hostile decades after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the US embassy hostage crisis. American sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program continue to strain ties, with the US and its allies accusing Tehran of pursuing nuclear weapons, a charge Iran rejects.

The June conflict coincided with the sixth planned round of nuclear talks between Iran and the US, which were suspended as fighting escalated. Diplomacy is now set to resume on Tuesday, when Iranian officials meet representatives from Britain, France, and Germany. The European powers have warned they could reinstate sanctions if no deal is reached.