Addressing the conference “We and the West; A Conference on the Views and Thoughts of Ayatollah Khamenei”, held in Tehran on Monday, Larijani stated that although the West has imposed restrictions on Iran at times —such as during the imposed war, over the nuclear issue, and the human rights issue— the Islamic Revolution has been able to structure its interactions with Western countries based on an independent and realistic approach that prioritizes national interests.
He noted that despite various ups and downs, Iran’s policy has never aimed at severing commercial ties with the West.
Rather, the main criterion has always been the safeguarding national interests, he added.
Accordingly, Larijani said, while expanding economic relations with Islamic and neighboring countries, trade with Western nations has also continued, although the extent of such cooperation has varied depending on political and security conditions.
Larijani stressed that the Iranian officials have never held inherent hostility toward the West.
However, the West’s domineering behavior and political and security interventions have caused crises in cooperation and lowered the level of relations, he noted.
The nuclear issue has merely been used as a pretext, Larijani said, asserting that the true objective of the US and the West is opposition to the Iranian nation itself.
He cited recent demands to restrict Iran’s missile capabilities and regional role as further evidence, noting that such matters are none of the concerns of Western countries.
He also denounced the US president’s “peace through strength” approach, saying it represents a challenge to the independence of nations, undermines international rules, and replaces law with power —a historic policy of the West that has now been made explicit.
Referring to the war of aggression imposed by the Israeli regime and the US in June, Larijani highlighted that the strength of the Iranian nation and the steadfastness of its Armed Forces forced adversaries to retreat and end the conflict quickly.
He underlined that Iran’s Armed Forces continue to defend the nation with full capability.