In his first indirect reference to U.S. President Donald Trump, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei described him as delusional.
In statements made during a meeting with private sector leaders , Khamenei said, "That delusional dreamer announced that Iran has weakened... The future will show who is truly weak.
He added, "Saddam Hussein also previously thought that Tehran had weakened, so he began his aggression." He continued, Ronald Reagan also believed that our country had weakened, so he helped Saddam.
Khamenei considered that "these and dozens of other delusional individuals met their fates, while the Iranian regime continued to grow day by day." He concluded by asserting that this experience will repeat itself, hinting at Trump's era.
Meanwhile, Mohsen Rezaei, Chairman of the Economic Coordination Council of the Three Authorities and former commander of the Revolutionary Guards, warned the U.S. earlier today, saying, "We are strong, and Trump should not be deceived.
Several Iranian officials have confirmed in recent times their country's readiness to negotiate with the new Trump administration to lift sanctions on the country.
Two days ago, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei expressed hope that the new U.S. government would adopt a realistic" approach towards Tehran, a stance reiterated multiple times in recent weeks.
These statements come as the Iranian axis in the region has suffered significant blows in recent months, including Hezbollah in Lebanon due to its war against Israel and the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who was an ally of Tehran.
It is worth noting that during his first term in the White House, Trump adopted a strict approach against Iran, implementing a maximum pressure" policy.
He also withdrew from the nuclear agreement in 2018, reimposing severe sanctions on Tehran.