Khamenei Urges Iran to Stand Up to Sanctions
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Iran began the Persian New Year on Wednesday with its most senior leader asking the people to stand up to piling Western economic sanctions and also warning that the pressure was unlikely to ease.
If Iranians show more "readiness" to face Western pressure, the next 12 months will be a "political and economic epoch" for the country, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a recorded message on state television.
The year will be filled with "development, activity and dexterity," Khamenei vowed in the message aired shortly after Iranians celebrated the Persian New Year, or Nowruz, marking the transition of winter to spring.
But, he warned, "it does not mean that the enmity of enemies will subside," alluding to Western opposition to Iran's nuclear program and harsh sanctions against the economy of the Islamic republic.
Western powers and Israel suspect Iran's atomic activities have military objectives, despite repeated denials.
Coupled with unilateral sanctions by the United States and the European Union, U.N. Security Council punitive measures have been implemented to all but coerce Iran into curbing its nuclear work.
Final decisions on the nuclear drive rest with Khamenei, and Iran has vowed to continue with its program of uranium enrichment.
On Wednesday, Khamenei said economic sanctions had failed to "cripple" Iran, while also noting an increase in pressure.
"It appeared that the enemy was toughening up against Iran" in the past 12 months, he said. "They said and insisted they wanted to cripple the Iranian nation with sanctions. But they failed."
The ailing economy, which has long struggled with high inflation and unemployment, was further buffeted in 2012 by increasingly severe U.S. and EU sanctions targeting its vital oil and financial sectors.
Iran's currency, the rial, has lost nearly two thirds of its value since late 2011.
"Economic pressure was exerted on the people and problems arose," Khamenei said, while implicitly criticizing the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for its "negligence" in handling the economy.
However, Khamenei said that those problems had let Iran gain "dexterity" in battling the sanctions, and also claimed the nation was making progress despite these woes.
Six world powers -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany -- have engaged with Tehran to seek a diplomatic solution to the nuclear stand-off.
Iran's next round of talks with the so-called group of P5+1 is scheduled for April 5 and 6 in the Kazakh city of Almaty.
20 March 2013, 18:42
1814
Sure Ali.....stand up against the sanctions. See how far it will get you. As long as everyone is an 'enemy' except Assad and HA....you will be standing for a loooooong time buddy!
20 March 2013, 23:04
00
Well, surely you don't have to take my advise and may continue killing each other if you must do so. How many centuries has it been, and how many thousands have died so far?
20 March 2013, 23:18
515
lebanon is a part of Syria.
all u clown are traitors denying your origins. Shame on you.
21 March 2013, 02:12
140
Lebanon has been proclaimed to be part of Syria, and, based on the history that I am familiar with, I don't believe the people in Lebanon ever had any choice against a bigger country with a real Army. But that doesn't mean that, today, the Lebanese are not entitled to their independence and freedom.
21 March 2013, 14:32
131
There was never a country called Syria not before independence get your historical facts straight Tartuffe.
21 March 2013, 01:04
156
salut BigSami, comment va?
et toi FT, comment ca va coco? Mowaten est absent on dirait...
J'ESPERE que vous n'etes pas payes pour foutre le bordel sur le web (voir article ds l'Orient Le Jour). Nous devrions TOUS faire preuve de plus de civisme et de tolerence avec nous autres, soyons des exemples pour tous les libanais allochtones comme autochtones.
21 March 2013, 02:07
94
Mais non FT, faut pas voir le mal partout! Sans toi le site serait barbant... et puis, il faut bien un bouc-émissaire pour se défouler avec un peu de retenue. Toutefois, je dois bien admettre que ça commence a dégénérer par ici ce qui a pour fâcheuse conséquence de me faire bouder naharnet. Tu as absolument raison concernant la démocratie, bien qu'elle ne soit pas la panacée. Enfin, soit... tout ce qui se déroule au pays avec tous ces esprits échauffés me fait dire que je ne visiterai pas la famille cette année.
za2if? te connais pas! enchanté. Montrons l'exemple tous ensemble.
20 March 2013, 18:49
911
iran will most probably implode soon, thus the repeated calls like this one. the Iranian people will not remain silent for long.
20 March 2013, 22:19
61
one thing you "conveniently" skipped is what happened when germany was facing that situation.
you so innocently jumped to "look at where germany is now" and forgot the little Nazi - Holocaust episode.
21 March 2013, 07:34
41
good comparison. we all know what happened to the nazi regime. you would agree with me that the iranian islamic autocracy is doing no good to iran. from suppression of political opposition to concentration of the country resources in armament, the regime is wasting the future of generations to come. and what about iran "bad boy" regional role. Is it doing any good to the region? Is it not rather creating unnecessary conflicts between sunni and shia? Look what is happening in Lebanon. The sunnis cannot be described as extremist armed people that cannot live en bon intelligence with the others, yet HA rise and power is creating large imbalances and fragilizing the country.
Now there is a major difference between iran and germany then. Europe was in turmoil between fascism and communism and the large majority of german supported the nazi regime. I am not sure that the large majority of the iranian people support the islamic revolution.
21 March 2013, 09:02
41
Actually it was your post that was unrelated to the fact that the german people are united.
Also you chose to skip the one of the most important phases of that history (between the 2 world wars and present day) by calling it outdated media BS. Its called history. Just because its old, it doesn't mean its outdated :)
so bottom line is you are comparing iran today to the germany of the 1930s. And we all know what followed.
also, the iranians showed their unity a few years back. Does the term green revolution sound familiar? Do you remember what your buddy khamenei did to them?
20 March 2013, 20:15
69
What I like about people such as Khamenei or Kim Jung Un is that they call for further sacrifices and tenacity. But they aren't personally affected by harsh living condicions... They have cooks, food served, luxurious homes.... And so on.
20 March 2013, 21:48
54
By choice, it isn't imposed upon him unlike 'his' people. Comprendes? Kaddhafi was living in a tent.... We saw what it look liked afterwards. Jajajaja
20 March 2013, 23:16
35
Flame, why do you have to insult? Jajajaja as I say is hahahahaha in Arabic. I forgot you dislike diversity, that's why you support sectarian factions.. Typical narrow minded m8er.... Sad Lebanon.
20 March 2013, 21:05
63
Read above post again diaperboy. All your posts have 'child' written all over. You don't even know most the words you post other than those kindergarten quotes. Grow up ya mustool.
21 March 2013, 00:24
72
Hi everyone! I read something interesting about people such as our friends here being paid to spread hatred...
http://www.lorientlejour.com/category/%C3%80+La+Une/article/806154/%3C%3C+Policiers+%3E%3E_anticonfessionnels_sur_Facebook.html
