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Iran’s supreme leader voices pessimism about new talks with US

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expresses pessimism about the possibility of talks with the United States to lift non-nuclear sanctions.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivers a speech during a ceremony marking the death anniversary of the founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in Tehran, Iran, June 4, 2017. TIMA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RTX38ZP7

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has expressed pessimism over holding negotiations with the United States, sending a message to moderate President Hassan Rouhani who vowed during his recent re-election campaign to enter talks with Washington to lift non-nuclear sanctions.

In a meeting with heads of the government branches and senior officials on June 12, the supreme leader urged them to “act vigilantly, meticulously and very cautiously wherever it is required to work with foreigners. Remarks should not be made in a way that implies trusting the enemy, as it will have a negative effect on both inside the nation as well as among the foreigners.”

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