Is Washington's change in tone toward Iran a result of a
realization that it 'cannot challenge Iranian power'? According to this news
item from Iran's state-run FARS News Agency, senior military aide to the supreme
leader, Major General YahyaRahimSafavi, expressed skepticism that Washington has the
' will or seriousness' to settle its issues with Iran, and sais that Iranians
could not forget U.S. animosity over recent decades.
TEHRAN: Major General YahyaRahimSafavi,
senior military aide to the supreme leader, expressed pleasure on Wednesday
over Washington's softened tone toward Tehran, calling it a result of Iranian
power and resistance.
"It
seems the Americans have ultimately understood that Iran is a powerful and
stable country ... that uses wise and logical methods when confronting its
enemies," Safavi told FNA.
Referring
to U.S. President Barack Obama's remarks about Iran during his address to the U.N.
General Assembly meeting in New York, Safavi said,
"Mr. Obama, as the first U.S. president to announce, 'We are not seeking
regime change, and we respect the right of the Iranian people to access
peaceful nuclear energy' stabilizes the rights of Iran."
"The
Americans have sensibly chosen a type of flexibility and withdrawal in regard
to Iran," Safavi said, adding that "they have
reached this conclusion due to the fact that they cannot challenge Iranian power."
In
addition, Major General Safavi underlined that Tehran
would maintain its stance toward the United States, given that Iranians cannot
forget U.S. animosity over recent decades, including its support for the 2009
street unrest [after what most of the world regards as the stolen election of
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad].
Safavi also criticized Obama for speaking of
the possibility of further isolating Iran if it continued down the same path
and calling on Tehran to find other ways of dealing with the regional and
international issues.
Referring
to President Hassan Rouhani's comments at the U.N.
General Assembly meeting on Tuesday, Safavi said Rouhani wisely elaborated Iran's stance in opposition to
the weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, Iran's right to enrich
uranium on its territory, and its efforts to establish justice-based peace in
the region and around the world.
Safavi, a former commander of the Revolutionary
Guards Corps, expressed skepticism over whether the United States has the will
or seriousness to settle issues with Iran.
"If
they remove the sanctions step by step and a mutual confidence is created, then
there is hope."
He
called on Americans to desist with their constant obstinacy toward Iran and to
stop listening to the Zionist lobby. He also advised Washington's European
allies to drop their sanctions and establish economic, political and cultural
ties with Iran, thus achieving a win-win scenario.
Posted By
Worldmeets.US
President
Rouhani stressed during his address to the 68th
Session of the U.N. General Assembly that Iran is prepared for talks with the United
States, but “on an equal footing and with mutual respect,” yet he said he has
yet to hear a single voice from Washington.
The
Iranian president said he had listened to Obama’s words very well.
"I
listened carefully to the statement made by President Obama today at the
General Assembly. Commensurate with the political will of the leadership in the
United States and hoping that they will refrain from following the
short-sighted interest of warmongering pressure groups, we can arrive at a
framework to manage our differences," President Rouhani
said.
“Of
course, we expect to hear a consistent voice from Washington," he said.
“The dominant voice in recent years has been for a military option.”
