Six months into the implementation of the comprehensive deal between Iran and six world powers that curtailed the country’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on Iran's nuclear program, has criticized the United States for its implementation of the deal and the lack of benefits for the Iranian public.

During an Aug. 1 speech, Khamenei said that even Iran’s nuclear negotiators have conceded that the United States has made "bad pacts," created obstacles and attempted to “destroy Iran’s economic relationships with other countries.” The obstacles Khamenei referred to are likely the remaining US banking sanctions unrelated to nuclear sanctions that have made European companies hesitant to fully establish economic relations with Iran. Iranian negotiators had previously said that the United States wanted more concessions to remove the banking sanctions.

In an indirect attack on President Hassan Rouhani and others who hope for better ties with the United States, Khamenei said, “Of course it’s been some years that I have been repeating this about the lack of trust with America, but for some it was hard to accept this reality.”

According to Khamenei, in the last meeting with their American counterparts, the Iranian negotiators accused the opposing side of “breaking oaths, not acting on their commitments and creating obstacles.”