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Last update - 22:29 29/10/2008
Iran's supreme leader: Hatred for U.S. runs deep
By The Associated Press
Tags: Iran, Barack Obama 

Iran's supreme leader said Wednesday that his country's hatred for the United States runs deep and differences between the two nations go beyond a few political issues.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's comments on state-run television less than a week before the American presidential elections were seen as a signal that a thaw in U.S.-Iran relations was not expected no matter who wins the Nov. 4 race.

Khamenei said the hatred is rooted in 50 years of U.S. intervention in Iran's domestic affairs and hostility toward Tehran.
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"The hatred of the Iranian nation is deep-seated. The reason is the various conspiracies by the U.S. government against the Iranian people and government in the past 50 years," Khamenei said.

He was addressing a group of students in Tehran days ahead of the 29th anniversary of the 1979 storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by militant students.

Iran blames the CIA for helping topple the elected government of Mohammed Mosaddeq in the 1950s and blames the United States for openly supporting the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi against the 1979 Islamic revolution that led to the collapse of the dynasty.

Iranians also condemn Washington for arming and supporting former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

"This dispute [with America] goes further than differences of opinion over a few political issues," the Iranian leader said.

Iranian political analyst Saeed Leilaz said Khamenei's address sent a clear message that he will have to approve any efforts for reconciliation with U.S.

Khamenei wants the U.S. and Iranian political factions to know that he will be in control of any efforts to politically restore their relations, said Leilaz.

Leilaz said Khamenei is also telling Iran's political factions not to get excited should Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama win the U.S. election.

Iran's government refused to publicly side with any of the U.S. candidates, but Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani said last week that Obama seemed more rational than his Republican rival, Senator John McCain.

Obama has called for direct diplomacy with Iranian leaders that he says would give the U.S. more credibility to press for tougher sanctions - though the Illinois senator now says he's not sure hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the right person to meet with.

McCain has said he favors tougher sanctions against Iran and opposes direct high-level talks with Ahmadinejad.

The United States and Iran have had no diplomatic relations since the 1979 embassy storming.

The atmosphere between the two countries improved marginally under former President Mohammad Khatami, who encouraged athletic and cultural exchanges.

But it deteriorated after the Sept. 11 attacks when U.S. President George W. Bush declared that Iran belonged to an axis of evil with North Korea and Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq.

Since taking office in 2005, Ahmadinejad has widened the gap with Washington by taking a hard-line stance on Iran's nuclear program and calling for Israel's destruction.

The U.S. and some of its allies accuse Iran of developing nuclear weapons, but Iran insists its program is peaceful, with the sole goal of generating electricity.

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It's safe to assume that Obama won't abandon Israel.
Apprehensive in Israel
Rightist MK Aryeh Eldad warns 'Israel should be wary of Barack Obama'
  1.   In That Case... 21:08  |  Yosemite 29/10/08
  2.   I`m so tired of this regime 22:11  |  Persian Kitty 29/10/08
  3.   The Ayatollah?s of Iran have only inflamed that hate and used it 22:23  |  David G 29/10/08
  4.   Closed minded Zealots 22:39  |  Dr Noam 29/10/08
  5.   Get a life Iran!!!!! 23:38  |  Jo 29/10/08
  6.   David G 00:21  |  Persian Kitty 30/10/08
  7.   Hasn`t anyone ever notice that ,,,,,,,,,,,, 00:45  |  MIKE 30/10/08
  8.   Jo 01:18  |  Persian Kitty 30/10/08
  9.   THE MCCain camp could not have paid for better PR than this.! 02:26  |  PETER SM 30/10/08
  10.   Just a little more patience... little kitty [#2] 02:26  |  allang 30/10/08
  11.   Mike In NYC 02:56  |  Persian Kitty 30/10/08
  12.   Allan G 03:33  |  Persian Kitty 30/10/08
  13.   Persian Kitty 03:37  |  Howard 30/10/08
  14.   Iranian Women Are So Beautiful 04:17  |  Yosemite 30/10/08
  15.   Kitty, Iran`s lack of legitimacy 04:23  |  MIKE 30/10/08
  16.   PETER S&M 04:28  |  Persian Kitty 30/10/08
  17.   oil price is going down so... 06:28  |  benny 30/10/08
  18.   [#12] Little kitty....changing political winds 07:09  |  allang 30/10/08
  19.   [#12] Little kitty....changing political winds 09:04  |  allang 30/10/08
  20.   Mike 17:56  |  Persian Kitty 30/10/08
  21.   Howard 18:26  |  Persian Kitty 30/10/08
  22.   US hatred 21:49  |  rich 30/10/08
  23.   Blaming US for 1950 Coup 22:47  |  Yuri 30/10/08
  24.   Rich in Pittsburgh 01:24  |  Persian Kitty 31/10/08
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