Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has reiterated Iran's opposition to cooperation with the United States against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, saying US officials' remarks about their campaign against IS are "absurd, hollow, and biased."
"They are telling lies and say they will not invite Iran to join their coalition while Iran had expressed its opposition to its participation in such a coalition in the first place," the Leader said on Monday morning after he was released from hospital in good health. The Leader underwent a successful prostate operation on September 8 at a public hospital in Tehran and stayed at the hospital for a week to recover from the surgery.
The Leader said, "The fact that the Americans have become disappointed because they have failed to involve Iran in a wrong collective move is an honor for us."
He said Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had previously turned down US Secretary of State John Kerry's request for cooperation with Iran against IS.
The United States is trying to build an international coalition to fight IS. Kerry said on Friday it was "not appropriate" for Iran to join Monday's talks in Paris on confronting IS militants.
