Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks on Sunday during a visit to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force Central Command in reaction to a plea by world powers currently engaged in nuclear talks with Iran.
“They (the West) expect limits to Iran’s missile program while persistently threatening Iran with military [action]. Therefore, such an expectation is stupid and foolish,” the Leader said.
“The arrogant front is making efforts to bring the Iranian nation to its knees and force it into retreat, but it will definitely not achieve this goal,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
The Leader further restated his support for conducting “negotiations and initiatives in foreign policy” but underlined that “such issues as sanctions must not be tied to the negotiations.”
“The officials must resolve the issue of sanctions in another way,” Ayatollah Khamenei insisted.
The exhibition Ayatollah Khamenei was visiting had put on display the achievements of the IRGC Aerospace Forces in the design and development of drones, radars and defense systems as well as anti-ship, ballistic and anti-shield missile systems.
“The most important lesson of this exhibition is the proof of the talent and capability of the Iranian nation for entry into challenging fields and those arenas from which the enemy intends to exclude them (the Iranians),” the Leader said.
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