Khamenei rant troubles Kerry in wake of deal

JOHN KERRY, the US secretary of state, said yesterday that he was disturbed by an outburst of anti-American rhetoric from Iran’s supreme leader in the wake of the nuclear deal, as fierce debates over the agreement began in both the Iranian parliament and US Congress.

Mr Kerry said he was troubled by a fiery speech in which Ayatollah Khamenei promised to continue fomenting unrest across the Middle East and said Iran’s policy towards the “arrogant” US would not change. “If it is the policy, it’s very disturbing, it’s very troubling, and we’ll have to wait and see,” Mr Kerry told al-Arabiya News.

Even as the Ayatollah signalled his tacit approval for the deal, he said that US and Iranian policies remained “180 degrees” opposed and that Iran would continue to back militant groups.

“Whether the deal is approved or disapproved, we will never stop supporting our friends in the region and the people of Palestine, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain and Lebanon,” he said. “Even after this deal our policy towards the arrogant US will not change.”

Mr Kerry hinted the US was not surprised by the rhetoric from the Iranian leader, and did not see his words as a threat to the agreement itself. “I do know that often comments are made publicly and things can evolve that are different,” Mr Kerry said.

Meanwhile, both the White House and the Iranian government began the task of selling the agreement to domestic critics in Tehran and Washington.

While Iran’s parliament is unlikely to be able to derail a deal backed by the Ayatollah, a 15-member committee will review the details and give opponents a chance to voice disapproval.

Gen Mohammad Ali Jafari, head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, is the most prominent public critic, saying the deal crossed “major red lines” for the military. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, is leading efforts to win backing and said that his negotiators had achieved their “key objectives”.