Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Saturday the United States' renewed attempts to drive the Islamic Republic to capitulation will fail as proven in the past 40 years.
"There is an important reality in the 40-year-old face-off between the United States and Iran, which is sometimes overlooked, and it's the fact that the Islamic Republic of Iran has been the winner and the United States has been the loser," the Leader was quoted as saying by his official website.
The Leader made the statements during a meeting with students a day before Iran marks the anniversary of the 1979 seizure of the US Embassy in Tehran, which happened months after the victory of the Islamic Revolution that toppled the US-backed Shah.
"Over the past four decades, the United States' main objective has been to reassert its domination over Iran, but it has failed to achieve its goal despite all efforts and conspiracies," he said.
Ayatollah Khamenei noted that the Islamic Republic is the only country in the world whose decisions are not influenced by Washington, which is another manifestation of the US failure.
"Successive US governments have resorted to various means to make Iran surrender, including economic and propaganda warfare, but they have failed to impose their will on the nation," he said.
"They [US officials] have been fooling either themselves or the American nation by claiming that sanctions are new measures against Iran because sanctions have always been there since the victory of the Islamic Revolution," he said, adding that the US has been engaged in a propaganda campaign against Iran for almost the same period.
Renewed Sanctions
Having abandoned the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, US President Donald Trump is trying to cripple Iran's oil-dependent economy and force Tehran to quash its nuclear and ballistic missile program and alter its regional policies.
Trump set in motion the resumption of sanctions on May 8 and the second tranche of sanctions will kick in on Nov. 5.
"On Nov. 5, the United States will reimpose sanctions that were lifted as part of the nuclear deal on Iran's energy, shipbuilding, shipping and banking sectors," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was quoted as saying by CNN on Friday.
As he previewed the coming sanctions, Pompeo said the sanctions are just one part of a deeper and broader effort "to change Iranian behavior."
Ayatollah Khamenei said US sanctions have made the economy more self-reliant and that international opposition to Washington's hostile policy toward Iran testifies to its declining power and isolation.
"When the United States puts its domination-seeking attitude aside, we can interact with it like other countries. However, it is unlikely to happen because a desire for domination is deeply ingrained in the world arrogant power," he added, using a term often used by Iranian officials to refer to the United States.
Renewed Commitment
The European Union, in a joint statement with France, Germany and Britain that are trying to keep the nuclear agreement alive, said they regretted Washington's decision to reimpose sanctions and pledged to work decisively toward creating a special mechanism that would circumvent US financial sanctions on Iran.
"As parties to the JCPOA, we have committed to work on, inter alia, the preservation and maintenance of effective financial channels with Iran and the continuation of Iran's export of oil and gas," they said in a statement issued on Friday, according to the European External Action Service.
They said the nuclear agreement is crucial for the security of Europe, the region and the entire world, and reiterated that Iran is abiding by its commitments under the accord as confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog.
Moral, Political Degradation
The Foreign Ministry on Saturday condemned the reimposition of US sanctions and welcomed Europe's renewed commitment to pursue legitimate trade with Iran as a "step in the right direction."
The reintroduction of sanctions reflects the United States' "moral and political degradation," read a statement issued on the ministry's website.
"The US move once again showed members of the international community, particularly US allies and partners, that the current administration not only has no respect for international rules and regulations but also punishes other law-abiding countries for their commitment to international obligations and law," it added.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran will overcome the existing challenge in cooperation with friendly countries and reliance on its domestic potential and international power," it said, adding that Iran is a powerful, influential and responsible regional and international player that believes in multilateralism.
European diplomats also assured Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif that they remain committed to keep trade and investment with the country afloat in separate phone conversations late on Friday.
EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom and Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen said the proposed financial mechanisms will be officially in place in the coming days to help offset the US pullout from the nuclear deal, the Foreign Ministry's website reported.
