Iran’s Supreme Leader Hints at Improving Ties With West
- Pezeshkian was formally confirmed as new president on Sunday
- New president begins term amid renewed tensions with Israel
Masoud Pezeshkian and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran on July 28.
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Iran’s supreme leader indicated that his country is open to easing diplomatic engagement with the West, hinting at a potentially more conciliatory approach for the country under its new president.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran has been “treated badly in recent years” by Western states, particularly through sanctions that stifled its economy and oil exports. However, Tehran could reconsider its diplomatic priorities with the West “if they change their ill conduct,” he said in a televised address on Sunday, without elaborating.