Iran's leading authority accused the United States on Tuesday of promoting terrorism in border areas and using arms and money against the Islamic state, in his latest verbal attack on Tehran's arch enemy. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's comments in a televised speech are likely to further disappoint the US administration of President Barack Obama, which is seeking rapprochement with Iran after three decades of mutual mistrust.
Khamenei was speaking in a western region close to Iraq where security forces often clash with Kurdish separatist rebels. Iran has also in the past accused its Western foes of seeking to destabilise it by backing insurgents on its borders. "I say this firmly that unfortunately across our borders, our western borders, the Americans are busy making a conspiracy, they are busy fostering terrorism," he said, referring to the US presence in Iraq, Iran's western neighbour.
"Money, arms and organisation ... are being used by the Americans directly across our western borders in order to fight the Islamic Republic's system. We should be awake," he said during a visit to Iran's Kurdistan province. In Tuesday's speech in Kurdistan, Khamenei said the United States had "dangerous plans" for Kurdish-populated areas.