Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei says US election result won't change Iran's stance on Washington

Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei says US election result won't change Iran's stance on Washington
Iran's Supreme Leader said Tehran's policy towards Washington 'does not change with the movement of individuals'.
2 min read
03 November, 2020
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke at an event commemorating the 1979 hostage crisis [Getty/ Archive]
The outcome of the US presidential election will not impact Iran's stance towards Washington, the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday.

"Our policy towards the United States is clearly set and does not change with the movement of individuals. It does not matter to us who comes and goes," Khamenei said in a speech commemorating the 1979 seizure of the US embassy in Tehran.

"The students' attack on this den of spies was quite appropriate and wise," Khamenei said, referring to the embassy storming, in which 52 US staff were taken hostage and held for 444 days.

Since the crisis, Washington has represented itself in Iran via the United States Interests Section in Switzerland's Tehran embassy.

Under Donald Trump's presidency, Iran-US relations deteriorated significantly, marked by Washington's withdrawal from a landmark 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has pledged to rejoin the accord, which European states have sought to save since Trump withdrew from it in 2018.

The deal gave Iran relief from sanctions in return for compliance and inspections on its nuclear programme. Since Washington's withdrawal, Iran has reciprocated by breaking uranium enrichment limits set by the deal.

Relations between Washington and Tehran deteriorated further when the US assassinated the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps' (IRGC) Quds Force leader, Gen. Qasem Soleimani in January.

The strike dramatically escalated tensions, raising concerns around the world about retaliatory attacks and further escalation from Iran.

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