TEHRAN - Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Thursday that he has never been “optimistic” about nuclear talks with the U.S. but he supports negotiations.
 
“I have never been optimistic about the talks with America and this issue is not due to an illusion, but is because of the experience that exists in this regard,” he stated.
 
He said that he has supported nuclear negotiations with the U.S. and supports it now.
 
The remarks by Leader came exactly one week after Iran and the great powers (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) succeeded to agree on joint statement, known as a framework nuclear agreement, which is a preliminary step for striking a final nuclear pact by June 30.
 
The Leader said all sanctions should be removed on the same day when a final pact is signed.
 
If removal of sanctions becomes linked to a “new process”, the nuclear talks will make no sense, because the aim of the talks is lifting sanctions the Leader stated.
 
On the reason why he had not so far taken any position on the framework agreement, he said there is still no room for taking position because according to nuclear officials nothing has been done yet and there is still no “binding agreement” between Iran and the 5+1 group.
 
He added that there is no need to take position in such a situation.
 
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader said that he neither agrees to the joint statement nor opposes it, because nothing has happened yet.
 
The problems lie in discussing the “specifics”, because the other side may restrict the Iranian negotiators and people.
 
“What has happened so far does not guarantee an agreement,” he stated.
 
----Leader says backs a deal that respects people’s honor
 
The Leader stated that he fully supports an agreement that respects the people’s “honor”.
 
If anyone says that the Leader opposes an agreement, he has said something that “runs contrary to the reality”, he added.
 
The Leader went on to say that he totally agrees to any agreement that meets the country and people’s interests.
 
‘No agreement is better than a bad agreement’
 
He added that “no agreement is better than a bad agreement”, because refusing any agreement that does not fulfill the Iranian people’s interests or respecting the people’s honor is better than the one that humiliates the people.
 
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader stated that he does not “interfere in details of the talks”.
 
He stated that he is not “indifferent” about the talks, but he has not interfered in details of the talks so far and will not.
 
Commenting on the way to inspect Iran’s nuclear activities, he said that any “unconventional” way of inspection will not be accepted.
 
Inspections should be based on conventional ones that take place everywhere in the world, he added.
 
He also highlighted the necessity of continuing “technical development” in nuclear activities.