(MENAFN- Arab News) TEHRAN Iran: Iran's top leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said a historic nuclear deal with world powers reached this week won't change Iran's policy toward the 'arrogant' government of the United States.
Khamenei said Saturday in a televised speech that US policy in the Middle East runs counter to Tehran's strategy and that Iran will continue to support its allies in the Middle East including the Lebanese Hezbollah Palestinian resistance groups and the Syrian government.
'Our policy toward the arrogant US government won't change at all' Khamenei said. He was addressing a large crowd in Tehran broadcast live on state TV to mark the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.
Khamenei who has the final say on all state matters said Iran and the US follow sharply different policies in the Middle East making more a wide-ranging agreement unlikely.
His comments are seen as a response to President Hassan Rouhani who said the historic deal in Vienna 'can step-by-step remove bricks from the wall of mistrust' between Iran and the US should the accord be implemented in good faith.
Iran calls its Lebanese ally Hezbollah a 'resistance movement' while the US classifies it as a terrorist group. And Iran continues to call for the destruction of Israel; Khamenei in his Saturday speech described Israel as a 'terrorist baby-killer government.'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strongly opposed the deal saying it will enable Iran to emerge from crippling economic sanctions while doing nothing to moderate Iran's aggressive behavior around the Middle East.
'US policies in the region are 180 degrees in contrast to Iran's policies' Khamenei said. 'Whether this text (nuclear deal) is approved or disapproved we won't give up supporting our friends in the region. The oppressed Palestinian nation Yemen Syria Iraq Bahrain the honest mujahedeen of resistance in Lebanon and Palestine will enjoy our constant support.'
Khamenei said Iran's direct talks with Washington were limited to the nuclear issue and that there can't be any dialogue or deal with the US over other issues.
'We have no negotiations with America about various global and regional issues. We have no negotiations on bilateral issues' he said.
However Khamenei has said in the past that the door to other issues could open should the US carry out its obligations under the deal in good faith.
Prominent analyst Davoud Hermidas Bavand said Khamenei's remarks were primarily for domestic consumption.
'Detente in Iran-US relations is an inevitable consequence of the nuclear deal. Today Khamenei sought to pacify hard-liners who are worried about rapprochment with Washington. The deal has increased Rouhani's popularity and Khamenei wants to create a balance and boost the morale of disappointed hard-liners' said Bavand a former diplomat and a professor of international law at Science and Research University in Tehran.