Unite against US
Khamenei urges Muslim nations, says won't accept any changes to nuke deal
Iran's supreme leader called on Muslim nations to unite against the United States, saying Tehran would never yield to "bullying," state television reported yesterday.
"The Iranian nation has successfully resisted bullying attempts by America and other arrogant powers and we will continue to resist... All Muslim nations should stand united against America and other enemies," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said.
Iran's top authority criticised Trump for saying on Tuesday some countries in the Middle East "wouldn't last a week" without US protection.
"Such remarks are humiliation for Muslims ... Unfortunately there is war in our region between Muslim countries. The backward governments of some Muslim countries are fighting with other countries," Khamenei said.
Iran and Saudi Arabia have long been locked in a proxy war, competing for regional supremacy from Iraq to Syria and Lebanon to Yemen.
He also said Iran will not accept any change to a nuclear deal with six major powers, a top advisor to Iran's supreme leader said yesterday.
"Any change or amendment to the current deal will not be accepted by Iran .... If Trump exits the deal , Iran will surely pull out of it ... Iran will not accept a nuclear deal with no benefits for us," said Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to Iran's highest authority Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
His comment came as French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that Trump might well pull out of the Iran nuclear deal for domestic political reasons.
Trump -- a fierce opponent of the July 2015 agreement signed by Tehran and international powers -- must declare by May 12 if he will essentially walk away from the existing deal when the renewal deadline arrives on May 12, or stay in.
Trump has branded the Iran deal "insane" and the "worst" in history.
Under Iran's settlement with the United States, France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China, Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear programme to satisfy the powers that it could not be used to develop weapons. In exchange, Iran received relief from sanctions, most of which were lifted in January 2016.
The EU says it is in full agreement with China and Russia over the need to preserve the deal, but has expressed concerns about Iran's missile programme and its role in the Middle East.