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Khamenei Is Not Preparing the Iranian Public for Compromise
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Mehdi Khalaji - Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has elaborated on his worldview in recent speeches. On May 20, Khamenei defined "the new Islamic discourse" as that "created by our Imam [Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini] and whose flag was raised by the Iranian nation with altruism and sacrifice." Reconciliation and rapprochement with the "unjust, bullying, arrogant, selfish discourse [produced and held] by the world's dominant powers...would never be possible, because one discourse believes in injustice and fighting with nations while the other believes in supporting suppressed people and confronting oppressors." Khamenei explained that "one of the challenges [of the nuclear negotiations involves] the other party's bullying and unreasonable demands....The nation and the government that emerged from it will not yield to bullying demands." Khamenei is inflaming public opinion, not preparing the Iranian people for compromise. The writer is a fellow at The Washington Institute.