Khamenei says nuclear deal, if passed, will not open Iran to U.S. influence

[IceWizard]

Mon Aug 17, 2015 | 6:42 AM EDT
By Bozorgmehr Sharafedin and Sam Wilkin


DUBAI (Reuters) -
Iran will remain closed to U.S. influence and continue to oppose U.S. policies in the Middle East after its nuclear deal with big powers, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday, noting either country can still block the accord.

The 76-year-old cleric, Iran's highest authority,
has refrained from making decisive statements
on the July 14 nuclear agreement, but gave
President Hassan Rouhani crucial political
cover to pursue talks with the six powers..

Tehran agreed to verifiable limits on its atomic
energy program to create confidence that it will not be put to developing nuclear weapons, in exchange for lifting international sanctions
crippling its oil-based economy.

"They thought this deal - and it is not clear if it
will be passed in Iran or in America - will open
up Iran to their influence," Khamenei was
quoted on his website as saying at a meeting
with members of the Islamic Radio and
Television Union. "We blocked this path and will definitely block it in the future. We won't allow American political, economic or cultural influence in Iran."

Most analysts see the chance of Khamenei
rejecting the deal as small so long as it passes
through the U.S. Congress, where opposition
Republicans aim to block it.

But Khamenei has always dismissed the notion that the agreement could reconcile the Islamic Republic with the United States, its arch-adversary since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

"Khamenei wants to keep the deal with the U.S. purely nuclear. He is worried about economic, political and cultural intrusion after the deal," said Hossein Rassam, former Iran adviser to Britain's Foreign Office. "He fears integration into the international economy could make the Islamic Republic vulnerable and potentially lead to its collapse."

If the deal is fully implemented, Iran's market of
nearly 80 million people would be opened up to foreign investment -- after protracted isolation.

But unlike European competitors, U.S. firms will
struggle to gain any toehold in Iran due to fear
among Iranian officials of being seen to be
coming under any American influence, and
because U.S. economic sanctions not related to the nuclear program will remain in place.

"It will be a long time, regardless of whether the deal goes through, before U.S. businesses will fully operate in Iran," said Sarah Dayan, an analyst at consultancy The Risk Advisory Group in London.

Even if the nuclear issue is successfully
resolved, Iran and the United States are likely
to remain locked in a struggle for influence in
the Middle East.

They support opposite sides in Syria's civil war and the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen.

"The Americans want to gain influence in the
region and reach their goals. We will not let
them," said Khamenei, who has previously said
U.S. regional policies are "180 degrees"
opposed to those of the Islamic Republic.


(Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Writing
by Sam Wilkin; Editing by Mark Heinrich)


[b] ***Opinion***[b]
I still don't trust those Iranians in general.... I'm sure there are those among them that are fine folks ... I just don't think the majority are ....