I got so fed up with the short cherry picked tweets about his speech, his first reaction to the Lausanne joint statement, that I set out to translate his entire speech myself, below:
"And now to the nuclear issue,
Some people ask the question, why isn't
he [Khamenei] saying where he stands on the nuclear issue ?
the answer is there is no reason to
make a stand. Our officials, our nuclear experts our advisors are
telling us nothing has happened yet. Nothing binding between the two
sides has taken place.
Where is there to stand? If they ask
me are you for or against? I will say, I am neither for or against,
because nothing has happened yet. The whole hard work will be on the
details which they are to sit and individually discuss, this is what
the officials have said too. Thats what they have told us and what
they have said in their interviews, they told the people this. The
difficult path all lies ahead after this.
It could be the opposite side is a
stubborn, perfidious and untrustworthy side, they may be back
stabbers and they may attempt to encircle our nation and our
negotiators inside a ring later on, but there is nothing yet, nothing
binding has been achieved.
this is meaningless when they
congratulate me or congratulate others, what congratulations? What
has been achieved so far is neither guaranteeing the principle of the
agreement and neither the negotiations leading to an agreement, nor
does it guarantee the contents of an agreement
It does not even guarantee that the
negotiations will reach an end and lead to an agreement. This is what
has happened so far. It all depends on what happens after this.
I will mention a few points about the
nuclear issue:
I have never been optimistic about
negotiations with the US. Not because of an illusion, but based on
experience. We have experience, now if one day God willing, you [the
audience] – for we will not be around on that day naturally, [Crowd
cries and prays] . But you will be and if God willing read about the
writings and the notes and the details of these negotiations, you
will see where our experience has come from... we have experienced
this, but despite the fact that I was not optimistic with negotiating
with the Americans, I did not object to negotiations on specific
issues and I agreed to them and I wholeheartedly backed our
negotiators and I still support them.
I will fully support an agreement that
supports the interests of our nation and the integrity of our nation,
and I will welcome it. Let everyone know this. If someone says we are
against reaching an agreement or a milestone in an agreement, then no
they are telling lies.
If an agreement is reached that secures
the interests of the nation and the country then I will be totally
for it.
Although we have said before, not doing
a deal is better than doing a bad deal. This is what the Americans
say too. This formulae is a correct formulae. Not doing a deal that
stampedes over the rights and esteem of our great nation is much more
honourable than doing a bad deal.
The next thing is that I have not
interfered in the details of the negotiations and I still will not. I
will interfere in the overall issues, the main guidelines, the
important frame works, the red lines..
I have always told these things to the
country's officials, I told the respectful president with whom I have
regular meetings, and on a few occasions to the respectful Minister
of Foreign Affairs. The main and major guidelines.. The details and
the small specifics, which have no affaect on the overall guidelines
are not an issue, these are within their boundaries and they can work
on these. To say the details of these negotiations are under the
control of the leadership is not an accurate thing to say.
Of course I feel responsible regarding
this issue and in no way am I indifferent. We have said all this to
the public and said all this more completely to the officials.
Next thing is that I trust the
negotiators, you should know this. I have no doubts about those who
are doing the work, not so far and God willing not after this either,
but at the same time I have serious concerns. These concerns are
because the opposing side is extremely deceitful and lies and welches
on agreements. Thats how they are. We saw one aspect of this after
the recent negotiations. After our negotiators, just a few hours
after, the White House statement was published to explain what was
negotiated. This statement that they published and called it
“factsheet” is in most cases contrary to the truth. In other
words their narrative of what has been negotiated and agreed is a
distorted and wrong narrative.
They brought this factsheet for me to
see. Its 3,4 or 5 pages. These 4 or 5 pages were not made up in the
two hours after the joint statement, they wrote this at the same time
they were negotiating. You see thats what they are like. At the same
time they are talking to you about issues that are being negotiated,
they are working to come up with something which is contrary to what
is being said between the two sides and as soon as your negotiations
is finished they go and publish their own statement. Thats what they
are like, they are cheaters, they are welches. They talk and then
they say these are just to save face, so that they don't lose face in
front of their opposition at home, they just write something.
Well thats nothing to do with us, what
they have written for sure will not be our criteria. Of course they
say the same things about us. They claimed after the negotiations
the leadership may, to save face, express some opposition!
The non-believer thinks everyone has
the same religion as him [Persian proverb] [audience chuckles]
We on the other hand speak to our
people based on mutual trust. The people have trusted this humble
meek person [himself] and I too trust every single person in this
nation. I trust this mass movement, that God's hand is behind this
movement, look at the anniversary of the revolution, in that cold,
with all those difficulties, look at the Qods day, in that heat while
people were fasting, what is it that brings our people to the
streets? what do they gain by coming out on the streets? this is the
hand of God. We see God and we trust this popular movement, this
popular feeling, this popular honesty and this popular foresight and
we talk to each other.
They [Americans] are of a different
ilk and they assume we are like them. This is why, I, the humble
servant, have these real concerns, about what they will do and how
they will go on about it.
Next thing, some have been for and some
against it in our press, in our cyber space sites, some admire and
some oppose, we shouldn't rush things, I believe we shouldn't
exaggerate either, we have to see what happens. I have said this to
the officials, they should inform the public and especially the elite
about the details, we have no secrets. This is the manifestation of
empathy with the people.
Empathy is not something that can be
imposed on the people, its not something that can be ordered,
you can't have someone order the people
to empathise with the government and make the people say, Yes Sir!
How can that be empathy?
Empathy is like a flower, is like a
flower bulb, it has to be planted in the soil, then looked after, you
have to water it, defend it from harm, so that this empathy grows,
otherwise it wont happen.
This is what I advise everyone, now is
a good opportunity for empathy, some are opposed and have objections,
ok our officials who are honest people, who are interested in the
interests of the nation,
, let them invite some of the notable
opposers and listen to them, may be they have a point! And if they
don't, then convince them, this will create that empathy. This will be
unifying the hearts and actions.
They may say we only have three months,
well three months may become four months, well the Sky won't fall if
takes 4 months, like in the past they postponed things for 7 months.
So what if the final decisions are delayed? Nothing will happen
Next thing is that in these
negotiations which are partly with the Americans, these negotiations
are only on the nuclear topic. That's it!
We have no other negotiations with the
Americans on any other topics! None! Let all know. Neither on
internal issues, regional issues or international issues. Its only
nuclear issues.
This will be an experience for us, if
the opposing side refrain from their wrong doings it will be a new
experience for us, it will prove to us that we can negotiate with
them on something else too.
Otherwise our past experience of them
will be reinforced. And note that the side that opposes us, is not
the rest of the world. I hear sometimes from our own people, and I
have criticised it when they say “the international community
opposes us”, there is no international community against us, its
one America and three European countries, thats it! There is no one
else that opposes us!
Only two years ago in our own capital
we hosted more than 150 countries, we had 50 heads of state attend,
for the non-aligned movement conference. That wasn't 100 years ago, it
was two years ago. Thats the international community! This nonsense
that the international community doesn't trust us, what international
community?! The international community totally trusts us and even in
these countries that oppose us, they have many people who do not
agree with their governments.
Lastly, the things which I have
demanded from the officials . I have had certain demands that I have
relayed them to the officials
One is that they should know our
nuclear achievements are a worthy achievement.
I want them to know this and not look
at it as a trivial thing.
Nuclear industry for Iran is a
necessity. This thing about some pseudo intellectuals writing things
like “What do we need nuclear industry for?” this is a deceit
This is like what some Iranian officials during the Qajar dynasty
said about Oil. When the British had discovered oil in Iran and
wanted to take it away, the Qajar official had said “what do we
want this smelly substance for? Let them take it away”
Nuclear industry is a necessity for the
country, for energy as well as medicinal purposes, as well as
converting the saline sea water to fresh water and for many other
demands in agriculture and others.
Nuclear industry is an advanced
industry in the world.
Our own children have made this
achievement by themselves, this was as a result of the explosion of
their talents and capabilities.
Now some backward country claims “If Iran enriches then I want to have enrichment too” So go and have
your enrichment!” [Crowd chuckles] Its not as if we have stopped
you from doing it. It was our own talent, if you have the same
talents within your nation, then go and do enrichment yourself
such childish excuses that some
countries come up with!
enrichment and what has been achieved
until today is extremely important this is not a trivial thing
These are only our preliminary steps in
this industry, we need to make more progress, now there are some
criminal states like America who have applied this knowledge to
nuclear weapons and used it or have tested it like France, only 10-12
years ago, France carried out three nuclear tests in the ocean,
testing which is destructive, testing that damages the sea
environment, three very dangerous tests, and yet only a minor public
controversy and soon everyone was made to shut up. Who are they to
tell us off?!
We are not after creating nuclear
explosions, nuclear tests or nuclear weapons, not because of what they
say but because we have chosen not to. For the sake of our religion
and for the sake of our own wisdom. This is our religious fatwa and
this is our rational fatwa too.
Our rational fatwa is that we do not
need nuclear weapons neither today, tomorrow or ever and nuclear
weapons are a cause of trouble for us, for our country ,which we can
talk about more at another time.
Our next demand from our officials is
that we have told them “Do not trust the other side”
Fortunately, recently one of the
respected officials explicitly did say that we have no trust for the
opposing side and for me this is very good to hear.
We said do not trust the other side, do
not be taken in by their smiles, do not trust their promises, when
their donkey has passed the bridge they will turn around and laugh at
your beard. Thats how hideous they are.
Look at how when today some kind of
understanding has been reached, a note has been written or a joint
statement has been made with no legal bindings, right away you saw
the American president appear on their TV so full of himself.
Next issue ,which we have told the
officials and so we will tell the people too, is that during the next
few months, where the important details are discussed, what must
happen is that sanctions must fully and in one go must be cancelled.
This thing that sanctions will be cancelled 6 months later, one of
them says 6 months, another one says oh it may take a year, and
another one says it may even take longer than a year, this is their
usual game plays, none of these ae worth consideration or
trustworthy, if God willing they managed to reach an agreement then
on that very day of the agreement, then all sanctions must be
completely abolished. This has to happen
[crowds chant: Allah Akbar, Khamenei is
the leader, death to those who oppose the Supreme Leader, Death to
America, Death to England, Death to hypocrites, Death to Israel]
If it is to be that the sanctions be
cancelled until the end of yet another process, then why did we even
start the negotiations? What was all the negotiating and talking and
arguing for? It was all for having the sanctions removed. If they
want to link this to something, it is in no way acceptable.
The next issue which we notified the
officials and we also let you in on, is that under no circumstances,
should they under the excuse of monitoring and inspection, penetrate
into our security and defence privacy. No way!
[chants Khamenei is the leader, death
tho those who oppose the Supreme Leader, Death to america, Death to
England, Death to the Hypocrites, Death to Israel]
The military chiefs of our country
under no circumstances should feel obliged, under the excuse of
monitoring and inspection and such
like, let foreigners have access to our defence and security places
or pause the defensive development of the country.
The defence development and capability
of the country is the mighty fist of the nation and it needs to
remain strong and become stronger.
Or our support for our brothers
involved in the resistance movements across the globe must not be
tarnished.
No non-standard monitoring or
inspection that treats the Islamic republic as a special case will be
tolerated. Only the standard inspection which is the norm every where
else will be acceptable here and nothing more.
Further research and development into
the nuclear field should in no way be stopped, may be we will accept
a few limitations, we are ok with that, but the technical development
must be continued with more fervour than before.
These are the things we have told our
officials in regular meetings in the last year and half that we have
with the respected president and occasionally to our respected
foreign minister.
These are my principal demands now how
they achieve these, thats up to them. Let them go and find the best
methods of negotiations and benefit from the most informed and
trustworthy , listen to the critics and achieve what needs to be
done.
So thats the nuclear issues, now the
issue of Yemen, the Saudis have laid a bad cornerstone in the region
and of course they have made a mistake, what the Saudis are doing in
Yemen is exactly what the Zionists did in Gaza.
There is two issues about this, one is
that this is a crime, it is genocide, it is worthy of international
investigation, thats one dimension of the issue, they kill children,
destroy houses, destroy the infrastructure and the national assets of
a country, well this is all a great crime, the other dimension
however is that the Saudis will face a loss in this. In no way, will
they be victorious.
[crowds chant Allah Akbar]
There is a very obvious reason why they
will be defeated, the reason is the military capabilities of the
Zionists is several times that of the Saudi so and so's [crowds
chuckle]
Zionists had several times their
military capability and they faced a tiny Gaza, here the Saudis face a
country made up of tens of millions, a nation, a vast land and
country, if they [the Zionists] could become victorious over there
[Gaza] then these [Saudis] can be victorious here [Yemen]
Of course even if they [Zionists] could
have won, the chances for these [Saudis] is zero! Now it is below
zero!
[Crowds chuckle]
The Saudi will definitely receive a
blow, for sure the Saudi noses will be rubbed on the ground,
[Crowds show appreciation]
We have several differences with the
Saudis on many political issues, but we always used to say the Saudis
show some dignity and grace in their foreign policy, they have lost
this too now.
A few inexperienced youngsters have
taken over the running affairs of that country and their savage side
is winning over their serene appearances.
This wil be a loss to them. I warn the
Saudis they must refrain from their criminal act in Yemen. This is
not acceptable in this region.
[chants Khamenei is the leader, death
tho those who oppose the Supreme Leader, Death to america, Death to
England, Death to the Hypocrites, Death to Israel]
And the US of course supports them too,
this is the nature of America, they always back the tyrants instead
of taking the side of the downtrodden. This is their nature and they
are dong the same here too. But they will receive a knock, they will
be defeated.
Now they will make a hoo-ha that Iran
is interfering in Yemen, yes we say a couple of words and they call
this interference, yet their criminal planes have made the skies of
Yemen unsafe and thats not interference?
The excuses they come up with is
neither acceptable according to the international law, nor do nations
accept them and nor does God accept these excuses.
The nation of Yemen is an ancient
nation, its a great nation with thousand years of history, this
nation has the capacity and capability to decide for itself. Of
course some have tried to create a power vaccum and repeat the sort
of things that has happened in Libya, there is a disastrous bad
situation in Libya and they wanted to repeat a similar scenario in
Yemen, but fortunately they were unable, a faithful and enthusiastic
youth were able to stand up to them, Shiites and Sunnis and all sects
stood up to them and God willing they will be victorious and victory
belongs to the nations.
Lord make our brethren wherever they
are victorious
Lord destroy all the enemies of Islam
and enemies of Muslim nations wherever they are
Lord acquaint us with our duties
Lord make us perform our duties
"
