Khamenei on Nowruz: Nuke Deal Must Lift Sanctions

March 23, 2015

On March 20, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei released a statement on the occasion of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, encouraging “close cooperation between the people and the administration.”  The next day he delivered a speech in Mashhad, criticizing President Obama’s Nowruz message for including “dishonest assertions.” He also focused on the ongoing nuclear negotiations, emphasizing that “Iran has managed to neutralize the so-called crippling sanctions,” but that sanctions relief must be part of any nuclear agreement.

The following is Khamenei’s Nowruz statement and excerpts from his speech in Mashhad.
 


Khamenei's Nowruz Statement, March 20

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful;O Conqueror of hearts and sight, O Planner of night and day, O Transformer of power and circumstances, Change our condition to the best of conditions. Greetings be upon Fatima, her father, her husband and her children.
The beginning of this year is concurrent with the days of the martyrdom anniversary of Hazrat Zahra (God's greetings be upon her). Our people's love and respect for the Holy Prophet's (s.w.a.) household and honorable daughter requires that certain considerations be taken into account by everyone. Of course, everyone will undoubtedly do so. We hope that these days and the new year will be imbued with Fatemi blessings. I hope that the auspicious name and memory of this great personality will exert its deep and permanent influence on the lives of our people in the year 1394. And I hope that the arrival of the spring - which is coincident with the beginning of the solar Hijri year - will be blessed for the people of Iran and for all those peoples who commemorate Norouz.
 
I would like to send my sincere greetings to the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for his sake) and I use this opportunity to commemorate the memory of our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) and our martyrs. I hope that in the new year we will benefit from the blessings and prayers of those pure and dear personalities.
 
Let us take a brief look at the year 1393 and the new year which begins at this hour. The year 1393 was an eventful year for our country both in domestic, and in foreign and international arenas. We had certain challenges and achievements. It was because of these challenges that we named the year 1393 "The Year of National Determination and Jihadi Management". By taking a look at the year 1393, we can see that national determination thankfully showed itself. Our people showed their firm determination in enduring some the difficulties that they experienced as well as in the 22nd of Bahman, Quds Day and the magnificent Arbaeen rallies they showed their determination and displayed their effort . Thankfully, jihadi management was clear and visible in some areas. Whenever jihadi management showed itself in any area, it was followed by achievements. Of course, national determination and jihadi management were not particular to the year 1393. They are necessary for both this year and the coming years.
 
In the year 1394, we have great wishes for our dear people, all of which are attainable. Our great wishes for the people in this year are economic progress, regional and international power and dignity, scientific leaps in the real sense of the word, judiciary and economic justice, and faith and spirituality which is more important than other wishes and which prepares the ground for all of them to be attained. In my opinion, all these dreams and wishes are attainable. None of these wishes are things which are beyond the capacity of the people of Iran and the policies of the Islamic Republic. Our capacities are enormous. There are many things to be said in this regard. Insh'Allah, I will refer to the most important issues in this regard in the afternoon speech.
 
Now, what I like to say to our dear people is that this great and important potential can be realized, but there are certain conditions. One of the most important conditions is close cooperation between the people and the administration. If this close cooperation is shown bilaterally, all of our wishes will undoubtedly be attained and our people will witness its result. The administration is the people's employee and the people are its employer. The more cooperation and unity exists between the people and the administration, the better tasks will be carried out. They should trust each other. The administration should believe in the people in the true sense of the word. It should firmly believe in the value, significance and capabilities of the people. As for the people, they should trust the administration - which is their employee - in the real sense of the word.
 
I have certain pieces of advice in this regard which I will offer in the Saturday speech. This is why I believe that this year should be named the year of full cooperation between the administration and the people. I have chosen this name for the new year: "The Year of the Administration and the People, Harmony and Unanimity". I hope that this slogan will be implemented and that our dear, great, determined, courageous, insightful and wise people and our diligent administration implement both parts of this slogan so that they can witness its results in the future.
 
I ask Allah the Exalted to help our country make progress in all its great tasks. I ask Him to make us successful in rendering services to the people.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.
 
Translation via Khamenei.ir
 
Khamenei's Nowruz Speech in Mashhad, March 21
 
“Obama’s Nowrouz message included dishonest assertions and his claim of friendship for Iranian people was not sincere.”
 
“They [the Americans] say [to Iranian negotiators] ‘you come here and listen to what we say and implement them word for word’. But our nation will resist against it and will never accept this.”
 
“Iran and the US have opposite views on regional issues. We want security and calm in the region, but the arrogant powers led by the America pursue the policy of sowing insecurity in the region, which is quite the opposite of our goals.”
 
“America says ‘we sign the agreement and monitor [Iran's] behavior and then remove the sanctions’. This is erroneous and unacceptable and Iran will never accept this. This is the Americans’ ploy. Removal of sanctions should be part of any agreement.”
 
 
"Removal of sanctions is a part of the negotiations and not their result; therefore, as the honorable president (Rouhani) has clearly stated, the sanctions should be removed immediately after the agreement.”
 
"We will not negotiate with the US on domestic, regional and arms issues at all since the US policy in the region is based on stirring insecurity and confrontation with the regional states and Islamic Awakening which runs counter to the pivotal policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
 
 
Referring to remarks from U.S. lawmakers that an agreement could be reversible, "Such words are also unacceptable because if they believe that they will be entitled to re-impose the sanctions under some other pretext after the deal, then there is no reason for us to accept irreversible moves and undertakings."
 
"Now that Iran has entered negotiations with them they are surprised to see that Iran has managed to neutralize the so-called crippling sanctions."
 
"They thought that by the crippling sanctions the people will stage protest against the government, so they engineered the sanctions to divide the people and the government."
 
“If this friendly cooperation [between the government and the people] takes place on both sides, our wishes will certainly come true and our dear people will see the effects.”
 
“The government is meant to serve the nation and the nation demands services from the government. The more cordial the nation-government ties, the more cooperation and solidarity between them, the better jobs will go ahead.”
 
“The government should recognize the nation in the proper sense of the word and acknowledge the value, significance and capabilities of the nation. Reciprocally, the nation should trust the government… in the proper sense of the word.”
 
“We hope that… the blessed name of this great figure and her memory will leave a profound and lasting impression on the lives of our people.”
 
The Leader also expressed hope that Iran will experience “economic development, regional and international might and dignity, scientific breakthroughs in the real sense of the word, judicial and economic justice as well as faith and spirituality.”