Projection Alert. “Iran has no interest in US ties now: Khamenei,” by Stuart Williams for AFP (thanks to all who sent this in):
TEHRAN (AFP) – Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Thursday that Iran sees “no benefit” in resuming ties with the United States at the moment but does not rule out a resumption of relations in the future.
In his most significant speech on foreign policy in several months, Khamenei also vowed that Iran would not halt sensitive work on its controversial nuclear programme as demanded by the West.
“Cutting ties with the United States is one of our basic policies. We have never said that they will be cut for ever,” Khamenei told students in a speech in the central city of Yazd.
“The conditions of the US government are such now that it is harmful for us to resume relations,” he said, describing the United States as a global “danger”.
“Despite some talkative people’s claims, it has no benefit for the Iranian nation.
“The day that relations with the United States are beneficial to the Iranian nation, I will be the first one to approve of that,” he said.
I.e., when we become unequivocally and unanimously pliant.