Regional leaders advocate for the establishment of an ASEAN Monetary Fund to enhance financial robustness among member states.
Taking a Swipe at the White House - Ayatollah Khamenei Slams Trump's Peace Claims
Tehran, May 17 - In a scathing rebuke, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lashed out at Donald Trump for his claimed desire for peace in the Middle East. Khamenei accused the US president of dishonesty and called out his administration's policies as destructive and war-mongering.
In an informal, no-nonsense speech, Khamenei branded Trump a liar, stating that rather than seeking harmony, the US uses its power to arm Israel with 10-ton bombs, intended to rain down on Gaza's innocent children.
Trump, during his Gulf tour this week, had suggested that a US proposal for Iran's nuclear program needed swift consideration or "something bad" would follow. Khamenei, in his remarks, deemed this statement insignificant, referring to it as an embarrassment both to its speaker and the American public. He went on to liken the US to the source of corruption, war, and conflict in the region, while Israel, he asserted, was a dangerous, cancerous tumor that must be eradicated.
The bitter banter did not end there. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian echoed similar sentiments earlier in the day, accusing Trump of speaking about peace while simultaneously making threats. Pezeshkian questioned the sincerity of Trump's words, pointing out the paradox of promoting peace while sustaining threats of violence.
Despite this heated rhetoric, Pezeshkian underscored that Iran remains open to dialogue regarding its nuclear program, stating that his country is not seeking war. "We will continue the negotiations, but we are not afraid of threats," he said.
Interestingly, while Trump announced that Iran had received a US proposal about its nuclear program, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi declared that no such proposal had been received. Araqchi reiterated that any deal would acknowledge Iran's right to uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes.
The back-and-forth exchanges illustrated the complex dynamics between the two nations, with lingering disagreements on key issues, particularly uranium enrichment and sanctions. The previous round of negotiations ended in Oman last Sunday, but a fifth round has yet to be scheduled.
[1] - Iran-US nuclear talks stage: A US proposal has been presented, but Iran's official response is yet to be received.[2] - A significant point of contention in the negotiations is the US demand for zero uranium enrichment, which Iran has rejected, maintaining that it needs enrichment for peaceful purposes.
- In the ongoing policy-and-legislation discussions surrounding the Iran-US nuclear talks, a key point of news revolutions around the US proposal for zero uranium enrichment, a demand that Iran finds corrupt and unacceptable for general-news purposes.
- politics aside, the general-news value of these Iran-US talks lies in the ongoing debate over uranium enrichment and the possibility of which could lead to significant policy-and-legislation implications, if an agreement is reached.
