Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei emphasized that his country will not negotiate with the West over its presence in the Middle East. Khamenei was quoted by his official website saying that European countries come to Tehran and demand to negotiate with Iran over its presence in its own region. The Iranian supreme leader stressed that “it is none of their business,” while noting that the Islamic republic would only negotiate on its regional involvement with other states in the Middle East. The comments by Ayatollah Khamenei came as a response to French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian who visited Tehran earlier this week. During his visit, the French top diplomat reaffirmed Europe’s support for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the technical term for the Iranian nuclear deal, while echoing Western concerns about Tehran’s ballistic missile program and its aggressive role across the Middle East. While Iranian officials have indicated to Foreign Minister Le Drian their determination to preserve the nuclear accord, which has granted Tehran much needed sanctions relief; Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif vocally rejected any demand to limit Iran’s regional involvement.
