No other government in the world is hated as much as the United States
They say that they want to isolate Iran, but it is they themselves who have been isolated. Today among nations of the world, there is no government that is hated more than America. Today America is the most hated government in the eyes of the people of the regional countries. Not only are you isolated but you are also hatred. [Oct 15, 2011]
The US has lost its position as a superpower in the eyes of nations
Today, America's power, magnificence and awe have been destroyed in the eyes of nations. Nations have awakened and they have found courage. And you people of Iran are the main element behind this awakening. The main element is you youth who staged uprisings, who stood firm, who carried out the Revolution and who stood up for your legitimate claims. [Oct 31, 2007]
US sanctions against Iran are crimes
Since the beginning of the Revolution, we have been under sanctions. In recent years too, sanctions have been intensified and they are proud of imposing the harshest sanctions against the Islamic Republic. The sanctions are a crime in the true sense of the word. What they are doing is a crime. It is an important threat which is condemned by public opinion in the world. As it happens, issue is not about the sanctions that the US itself imposes, rather the issue is about the US imposing sanctions on others by force. Different American organizations are trying to be in contact with various companies, firms and individuals in order to force them not to have transactions with Iran. This means imposing unilateral sanctions. Whether they will succeed or not is another issue, but they are doing it anyway which is really a criminal act. [Feb 8, 2020]
US sanctions are against the Iranian people
You should not forget that the U.S. practices animosity towards you. You should not be deceived by their false and indecent smiles. They sometimes say that they have no problems with the Iranian nation and that their problem is with the government of the Islamic Republic. They are lying! The government of the Islamic Republic is nothing without its reliance on the people! They [Gov. of U.S.A.] are the enemies of the people. hey are enemies of a nation which has not lost its presence, strength, and determination over the past 40 years. Their sanctions are only against the people! [Nov 3, 2018]
Sanctions have caused Iran to build modern weapons by itself
Well-intentioned personalities have said many times and I myself have stressed that sanctions are to the advantage of the country in many cases. They are to the advantage of the Iranian nation. This has been mentioned by well-intentioned, enthusiastic and well-informed personalities. Of course, sanctions create certain problems. Imposing sanctions on banking transactions, on oil and on other areas might create certain problems, but they are eventually to the advantage of the country. One of the officials of the country quoted a foreign politician – they had gathered together in a meeting - as saying, “During the time of sanctions, you have managed to build so many modern weapons. You have many capabilities. Despite the sanctions, you have accomplished these great feats. What would happen if the sanctions were not imposed?” and our official responded, “If they had not imposed sanctions on us, none of these tasks would have been carried out” [Supreme Leader and audience laugh]! He was right. Sanctions help us rely on ourselves so that we pursue production and satisfy our needs from the inside. They help us identify our capabilities. [Apr 24, 2019]
The Zionists are surprised at the progress made in Iran under sanctions
A Zionist writer and scientist had written something in a Zionist journal. They brought the exact text of the article for me. At that time, we had tested a certain missile. He had written that I am an enemy of Iran, but I bow in respect to the man who has built that missile. Our youth have achieved such a feat despite sanctions, despite all these problems and despite them shutting scientific doors to us. This is the judgement of our enemies. [Oct 9, 2019]
The Iranian nation liberated itself with the Revolution, and sanctions cannot bring it to its knees
When you see that politicians, diplomats and the like keep saying through foreign news media that Iran cannot be brought to its knees with pressure, sanctions, threats and so on and so forth, this does not originate from the events of the last month or the past two, six months, rather it originates from 40 years of movement on the part of the Iranian nation. With the Revolution, the people of Iran broke out of the shell of subservience and humiliation which had been imposed on them. They broke that shell and came out. [Jun 26, 2019]
Sanctions are an opportunity to save Iran from dependence on oil
Sanctions can be an opportunity. Why? Because experience has shown that whenever the revenues of countries benefitting from natural resources such as oil decreases, they think of implementing economic reforms and they become motivated to develop these reforms. They become motivated to liberate themselves from dependence and they adopt appropriate measures. This happens when the revenues from natural resources are reduced. Later on, when those resources return to their prior state and when their financial resources increase again, they forget about continuing those reforms. So, the pressure stemming from a decrease in the revenues of natural resources has this great advantage, not only for us but also for all countries similar to us because it will save them from dependence on this natural resource, from being a one-product country and from this oil-based economy. [Mar 21, 2019]
The failure of the US in its anti-Iranian sanctions is the US’s severest defeat in its history
The Americans have repeatedly said that their sanctions against Iran are the harshest and most severe in history. They are right. I too once said in one of my speeches that the defeat that the US will suffer in this regard will be the harshest in history, God willing. [Mar 14, 2019]
The enemy is simultaneously waging an economic and a media war against Iran
Where is our war located today? It is said that our war is an economic one, which is true. The enemy has waged an all-out economic war against us. They have a war chamber as well, and they are studying the circumstances carefully. They have agents, and they are constantly making their moves. --There is no doubt about this. We are in such a war, but there is another war which is often neglected by us. The latter is not less significant than an economic war. Sometimes, it even prepares the ground for the economic war to exert its influence. What is that war? That war is a media war, a war of public provocation, and a war of propaganda: it is very important. Of course, it existed before, too. There has always been some propaganda that goes against us, but today it has intensified just like the economic war. There were sanctions before, but they have intensified today. [Sep 6, 2018]