The US plot to gain a political, economic and cultural foothold in Iran following last month's nuclear deal has been thwarted, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said.
"The Americans are looking to use the nuclear agreement as a vehicle to get into Iran," while the deal's approval is still pending in either country, the Leader said.
"We have effectively blocked their path though. We will do everything in our power to prevent the Americans making political, economic and cultural inroads into Iran."
He made the comments in a meeting with participants in the 8th summit of the General Assembly of the Islamic Radio and Television Union and the 6th General Assembly of the AhlulBayt World Assembly in Tehran on Monday, IRNA reported.
Ayatollah Khamenei said the hegemonic system has founded its regional policy on creating "division" and gaining "influence", which should be fought through both offensive and defensive strategies.
"Attempts to foment discord in the Muslim world are condemned and we are strongly opposed to them."
"The US decades-long struggle to gain influence in the region is aimed at restoring its tarnished reputation," he noted.
Tehran's foreign policy is driven by a commitment to develop "good" relations with all regional countries, the Leader said.
"As we have made clear the Islamic Republic extends the hand of friendship to all Islamic states in the region, even those at odds with us."
Denouncing the remarks by US officials who have "explicitly" talked of partitioning Iraq as a possible solution to end the crisis raging in the country, he said, "They are after splitting regional countries to smaller submissive countries."
Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted the important role the Islamic Radio and Television Union can play to counter the "dangerous empire" and "complicated mafia" of the American-Zionist media, stressing that the union should be strengthened.
"While claiming to have a neutral position, the media empire of the oppressors has been at the service of bullying powers by spreading distorted news and lies."
He said, "Continued crimes against the Yemeni people are the result of insistence on pursuing political ambitions by using absurd methods," a reference to Saudi officials who have been leading an Arab coalition in a military campaign against Yemen.
