During a speech to university students July 11, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned about a Marxist influence on Iranian universities, saying “certainly American money is behind it because there is no incentive [otherwise], so they give money. Dividing the university students is a great blessing for them, and one of these divisions is to make Marxism alive again.”

The Iranian supreme leader's statements reflect less concern about Marxism, which may or may not be on the rise in Iranian universities since its peak in pre-1979 revolutionary Iran, and more about American influence, especially now that the nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers appears to be reaching its final days and one of the main points of contention between Iran and the West seems to be dissolving.

“Another point that some have asked: What is the responsibility of struggle against the arrogance after the negotiations?” Khamenei said. The term “arrogance” is often used for the United States but could also apply to Western European powers or world powers. 

Khamenei answered his own question: “Struggling against the arrogance, struggling against the dominating systems cannot be suspended.” He added, “This is part of our work, a part of our fundamental work, part of our revolutionary principles. Meaning if there is no struggle against arrogance, then we are not even following the Quran.” Khamenei called the United States “the atom of arrogance.”