Iran’s supreme leader: US is ‘number one enemy’

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ripped the U.S. in a televised speech on Thursday, calling Washington the “number one enemy” of Tehran, according to Reuters.

“The American president’s foolish remarks against our people show the depth of America’s hostility towards the entire Iranian nation,” Khamenei said. 

“America is the number one enemy of our nation,” he continued. 

Khamenei’s comments come after President Trump last month announced he would decertify the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (INARA), breaking ranks with many of the U.S.’s international partners. 

{mosads}Prior to the announcement, Trump had delivered forceful comments against Iran on the floor of the United Nations General Assembly in September, in which he called Iran “murderous.”

“We cannot let a murderous regime continue these destabilizing activities while building dangerous missiles, and we cannot abide by an agreement if it provides cover for the eventual construction of a nuclear program,” the president said at the time.

“The Iran deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into,” Trump continued. “Frankly, that deal is an embarrassment to the United States and I don’t think you have heard the last of it, believe me.” 

Trump has urged Congress to consider amending INARA by imposing new benchmarks Iran would need to meet in order to stave off nuclear-related sanctions in the future. 

INARA was passed in 2015 under the Obama administration.

Its passage has not hindered Khamenei’s criticism of the U.S.

Khamenei said last month his nation will “shred” the nuclear accord should the United States get rid of the agreement.