Khamenei supports nuclear deal but warns of 'the enemy'
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, praises the conclusion of the nuclear deal and said if issues remain, he hopes they will be resolved.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with President Hassan Rouhani’s Cabinet on Aug. 26, expressing support for the recent nuclear agreement but warning against the influence of "the enemy" in foreign countries.
On the comprehensive nuclear deal commonly referred to as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which was the result of two years of negotiations between Iran and six world powers, Khamenei said, “Concluding the nuclear negotiations is one of the very important accomplishments that was done, and we are hopeful that if there are issues or problems in this area, they are resolved.”
Khamenei’s comments are designed to put to rest questions about his position on the nuclear deal. Hossein Shariatmadari, editor of Kayhan newspaper, had written Aug. 15 that Khamenei was “unhappy” with the deal.
Given that Kayhan’s editor is chosen by the supreme leader’s office, many assume Shariatmadari speaks for Khamenei himself, although that supposition has become less tenable. Regardless, Shariatmadari’s position gives him a large platform, and his original report created a splash in Iranian media, with even the media adviser of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps urging Shariatmadari to speak for himself.
