TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran is not opposed to direct talks with the U.S. to resolve its nuclear standoff with the West, the country's top leader said Thursday in comments that appeared to soften its long-held policy of outright rejection of bilateral talks with Washington.
But Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he's not optimistic that such talks would yield results unless Washington stops imposing sanctions against the Islamic Republic. His remarks came as President Barack Obama visits Iran's archrival, Israel, which has repeatedly threatened to take military action should Iran appear to be on the verge of obtaining a bomb.
Addressing a crowd in northeastern Iran on the first day of the new Persian calendar year, Khamenei also had a strong warning for Israel.
"Sometimes, leaders of the Zionist regime threaten us. They threaten to take military action. They are not in the size to be put in the list of Iranian nation's enemies," Khamenei said in comments broadcast live on state TV.
In a strong warning to Israel, Khamenei said that if Israel attacked Iran, Tehran would "level Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground."
The U.S. and its allies fear that Iran will ultimately be able to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran has denied the charges, saying its nuclear program is geared towards generating electricity and producing radioisotopes to treat cancer patients.
Khamenei claimed the U.S. wants to impose its will on Tehran.
"The Americans constantly send messages to us through various ways, saying let's hold (bilateral) talks on the nuclear issue," Khamenei said. "I'm not optimistic on these talks. Why? Because our previous experiences show that dialogue, in the logic of American gentlemen ... means let's sit down and talk so that you (Iran) accept our views. This is not dialogue. This is imposition and we won't give in to it."
Iran is living under stepped-up Western sanctions that include a total oil embargo and banking restrictions that make it increasingly difficult for Iran's Asian customers to pay for oil deliveries. Iran's income from oil and gas exports has dropped by about 50 percent as a result of sanctions.
Khamenei said the U.S. has sent messages to Tehran, sometimes in writing, saying it is willing to hold bilateral talks with Tehran separately from the negotiations Iran is holding with five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany.
"I'm not optimistic about these talks, but I'm not opposed to it either," he said.
However, Khamenei said the best way to resolve the standoff would be for the West to recognize Iran's right to enrich uranium and agree to a monitoring process to ensure that it won't be used for weapons.
"Iran only wants that the world recognize its enrichment right which is its natural right," he said.
Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters in Iran, said there is no reason why Tehran should trust the U.S. when Washington doesn't trust Tehran.
"We have repeatedly told you that we are not after nuclear weapons. You say you don't believe us. Why should we believe you? When you are not ready to accept an honest and logical remark, why should we accept your words that have been disproved many times?" he asked.
Khamenei alleged that the U.S. wants the nuclear issue to remain unresolved so it will continue to have basis for the sanctions, which he said have harmed, but not crippled the Iranian economy.
"Yes, sanctions have had an effect. If they (U.S.) want to be happy, let them be," he said.
"Our economy suffers from the problem of being dependent on oil," he said. "We have to distance our economy (from oil dependence)."
In Jerusalem on Wednesday, Obama said he continues to prefer a diplomatic solution to the nuclear dispute with Iran and thinks there is time to achieve one. Whether that works, he said, will depend on whether Iran's leaders "seize that opportunity."
Although Obama did not promise that the United States would act militarily against Iran if Israel decided that must be done, he offered an explicit endorsement for Israel to take whatever unilateral measures it deems necessary to guard against the threat.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said both he and Obama agree that it would take Iran about a year to manufacture a nuclear weapon.


http://news.yahoo.com/iran-says-not-...144829035.html

I think comments like this

"The Americans constantly send messages to us through various ways, saying let's hold (bilateral) talks on the nuclear issue," Khamenei said. "I'm not optimistic on these talks. Why? Because our previous experiences show that dialogue, in the logic of American gentlemen ... means let's sit down and talk so that you (Iran) accept our views. This is not dialogue. This is imposition and we won't give in to it."

Show that he has an understanding of the games being played, it is all about influence so I am all for him on that count but comments like this:

In a strong warning to Israel, Khamenei said that if Israel attacked Iran, Tehran would "level Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground."

Are just stupid, now you have given your opposition the sound bite they want "Iran plans to level Tel Aviv and Haifa" it may not be what he said but it is how it will be seen and sold to a public that is mostly incapable of doing anything more than following an ideological line.

Originally Posted by MontyB

I think comments like this




Are just stupid, now you have given your opposition the sound bite they want "Iran plans to level Tel Aviv and Haifa" it may not be what he said but it is how it will be seen and sold to a public that is mostly incapable of doing anything more than following an ideological line.

The message is exactly what you read in english. I think the people who should get it mean are Israel and her supporter the US, and they have got it.

Originally Posted by hamidreza

The message is exactly what you read in english. I think the people who should get it mean are Israel and her supporter the US, and they have got it.

If I were Iran, first thing I would do is at every corner expose the game. And do it in a way sublime enough so that when Western media reports it they unknowingly report the situation as is to their viewers.

Most people will follow ideological lines branded into their brains daily since birth, even westerners who watch " World News in 60 Seconds".

If I were Iran I would also avoid providing the instant attack card of justifcation. As soon as Iran with bold comments of leveling Tel Aviv reach the western masses, it will be over portrayed and broadcast on a loop to eventually ram that "justification" into the public's common opinion.

Thus giving a military strike the go ahead becomes much easier.

Iran if they wish to continue existing as they do, should pull the curtain back on the dirty deeds happening in bed between Washington D.C., Tehran and Tel Aviv. Not making military threats.

Military capability is something in my opinion that should not be flaunted, capable yes, but not boasted or relied upon.

Lastly it would be quite comical for somebody to pull the skirt out from the U.S. foreign policy's waist and we all finally admit it is what it is without a single casualty or one shot being fired.

Originally Posted by Yossarian

If I were Iran, first thing I would do is at every corner expose the game. And do it in a way sublime enough so that when Western media reports it they unknowingly report the situation as is to their viewers.

Most people will follow ideological lines branded into their brains daily since birth, even westerners who watch " World News in 60 Seconds".

If I were Iran I would also avoid providing the instant attack card of justifcation. As soon as Iran with bold comments of leveling Tel Aviv reach the western masses, it will be over portrayed and broadcast on a loop to eventually ram that "justification" into the public's common opinion.

Thus giving a military strike the go ahead becomes much easier.

Iran if they wish to continue existing as they do, should pull the curtain back on the dirty deeds happening in bed between Washington D.C., Tehran and Tel Aviv. Not making military threats.

Military capability is something in my opinion that should not be flaunted, capable yes, but not boasted or relied upon.

Lastly it would be quite comical for somebody to pull the skirt out from the U.S. foreign policy's waist and we all finally admit it is what it is without a single casualty or one shot being fired.

Exactly Iran's major card in this battle is its "underdog" status and it should be using it to great effect, it is pointless trying to rattle a big stick at the US as it is a battle it can't win but Iran can win the "hearts and minds" war so they are better off refraining from threats and just pointing out the game being played.

Oil and banks sanctions were the last cards west played and now they can't do anything more. They hoped that they would have something like Arab spring or protests like some bankrupt European states but nothing happened in Iran. Now they should repeat their empty threats again and again as they did in recent years. We are not used to reply their threats every day. We warn them one time on the first day of the new Persian calendar year and they should hang it on their ears for the whole year.
But about the sanction although our currency lost 70% of its worth and makes a lot of problem for our economy, I don't see it as a threat but an opportunity. For many years we always said for how many years our economy should dependent on oil incomes? How other countries are living without oil incomes and they have to pay a lot of money for oil to buy it? At least we don’t need to buy oil and energy. It was always a problem for us but we couldn’t do anything because oil incomes made addict and lazy our economy like a drug. Now the US provides this opportunity for us so why shouldn’t we use this opportunity?
Thanks US for your attempts I know you want the best for Iran.

just like egypt, syria, lebanon, jordan and the rest of the arab countries promised they will push us to the sea 65 years ago? we all know how that ened !
we have a saying in israel that says "כלב שנובח לא נושך"
this mean : " a dog who barks doesnt bite"

Originally Posted by Cartman

just like egypt, syria, lebanon, jordan and the rest of the arab countries promised they will push us to the sea 65 years ago? we all know how that ened !
we have a saying in israel that says "כלב שנובח לא נושך"
this mean : " a dog who barks doesnt bite"

I dare you to test that logic and it may be a good opportunity to point out that this is not 65 years ago the world has moved forward.

Thanks for the laugh.
Iran can do damge,certinaly.
But the only thing that will level will be their d!ck by the end of the conflict.

Originally Posted by Eden

Thanks for the laugh.
Iran can do damge,certinaly.
But the only thing that will level will be their d!ck by the end of the conflict.

We get it Israel, sheesh.

But how far in life will that get you? Yea you may drag the world down with you.

But what other legacy can you leave? What else can you bring to the world other than mass homicide from a war that erases all civilization?

If Israel were a individual person most people would consciously say they should be ashamed.