Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Presents His Misgivings About Negotiations With The U.S. In Public Addresses Over The Years, Claims Rafsanjani Admitted He Was Right; The Americans Cannot Be Trusted – They Are Liars, Violators Of Promises

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei posted a video compilation comprised of various occasions where he expressed his reservations regarding negotiations with the U.S. in recent years. The video was posted on Khamenei's official website Khamenei.ir on August 1, 2021, which spans a time period from April 2012 to as recent as his last meeting with the 12th government on July 28, 2021. In the Video Khamenei is heard saying that the Americans cannot be trusted, and that they are liars and violators of promises. He said that the Iranians should not be deceived by the American's smiles and should not trust them, "because once they get what they want, they will make a mockery out of you." On another occasion, Khamenei said that the Americans make promises, and they use sweet-talk but what they really want to do "is to conspire, sabotage, and prevent progress." Khamenei also said that former President Hashemi Rafsanjani had voiced a dissenting opinion regarding relations with the U.S., however he then admitted that Khamenei was right, and he had no arguments to counter Khamenei. In the most recent speech from July 28, 2021, Khamenei concluded that the term of the previous president, Rouhani, proved that the Americans cannot be relied on.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, July 28, 2021: "Others should use your experience. I had an experience of which I took special note. I have often talked about this with you and with the public, and I shall reiterate it now."

Khamenei, July 2, 2016: "Why do I insist so much that there must be no contact with the U.S.? This is true even for negotiations, with the exception of specific subjects that stem from our interests."

Khamenei, November 3, 2013: "I said at the beginning of the [Persian] year, in my speech in the sacred [city of] Mashhad, that there is no problem to conduct negotiations on specific subjects, but I said that I did not trust the Americans and that I was not optimistic about negotiations with them. However, if they want to conduct negotiations, they can go and do that."

Khamenei, July 2, 2016: "What is the reason for this? After all, there is a reason. This reason was confirmed in certain places even by the statesmen who support relations with America. At one point, one of [our former] presidents discussed this with me in different forums. Then he said in the National Security Council that so-and-so [Khamenei] has arguments to which I have no answer."

Khamenei, April 8, 2012: "I have arguments for why this opinion should be rejected. I have talked to you directly in many meetings. The voice of Mr. Hashemi [Rafsanjani] was recorded in the National Security Council. He said: So-and-so [Khamenei] has arguments to which we have no answer."

Hashemi Rafsanjani: "True. I said that."

Khamenei: "There you go..."

Khamenei, July 2, 2016: And he was right. In order to reject establishing relations with America, I had arguments to which he had nothing to say. He was right."

Khamenei, August 1, 2016: "Some people say: There is no problem with negotiations. This is the problem with negotiations: They derail you from the right path, deny you of your advantage, take from you what you are supposed to give away, without giving to you what it is supposed to give."

Speaker at the 2012 Expediency Council: "Mr. Rouhani has prepared a document with two columns, specifying the benefits and disadvantages [of the relations with America]..."

Khamenei: "The disadvantages were not listed there. Only the benefits. Mr. Rouhani specified something like 15 benefits, and you added a few in your distinguished handwriting."

Speaker: "There was also a small portion that listed the disadvantages."

Khamenei: "Okay..."

Khamenei, November 2, 2016: "By no means will reconciliation with American resolve the country's problems. Ten or fifteen reasons for this can be listed. The last reason is JCPOA. How many times have I said, throughout the negotiations, that the [Americans] are violators of promises, liars, who do not abide by what they say? Today, I am not [the only one] saying that they are violators of promises. The respected senior officials in our country and the negotiators themselves, who have worked so hard, are saying this."

Former Iranian FM Mohammad Javad Zarif, January 2021: "The Americans have an expression: 'What's mine is mine, and what's yours is subject to negotiations."

Khamenei, July 28, 2021: "This experience has taught us that we cannot talk with them on any issue, as with reliable people."

Khamenei, April 9, 2015: "We said: Do not rely on the other side. Do not be deceived by their smiles. Do not trust any real promise by them – I'm not talking about real promise, not real action – because once they get what they want, they will make a mockery out of you. This is how disgraceful they are."

Khamenei, August 1, 2016: "Ostensibly, they make promises and they use sweet-talk with you, but what they really do is conspire, sabotage, and prevent progress. This is America. This is our experience. Our experience tells us that this is poison that is lethal to us."

Khamenei, July 28, 2021: "Even now, I repeat what I have been saying. This experience tells us that you cannot rely on the West. Others, who will come in the future, should make use of this experience. During the term of [Rouhani's] government, it became clear that relying on the West is not the answer."