[Weekly Standard] President Obama has long known that the real decision maker in Iran is Ayatollah Khamenei, the so-called supreme leader. While other Iranian officials have negotiated with Western powers over the mullahs' nuclear program, Khamenei's opinion is the only one that really counts. It is for this reason that Obama began writing directly to Khamenei early in his presidency.Earlier today, Khamenei broke his silence on the supposed "framework" the Obama administration has been trumpeting as the basis for a nuclear accord. Khamenei's speech pulled the rug out from underneath the administration.
His Eminence the Ayatollah Khamenei taking shots at his new found ally? This really is beyond the pale.
Khamenei accused the Obama administration of "lying" about the proposed terms, being "deceptive," and having "devilish" intentions, according to multiple published accounts of his speech, as well as posts on his official Twitter feed.
Khamenei also disputed the key terms Obama administration officials have said were agreed upon in principle. Economic sanctions will not be phased out once Iran's compliance has been "verified," according to the Ayatollah. Instead, Khamenei said that if the U.S. wants a deal, then all sanctions must be dropped as soon as the agreement is finalized. Khamenei also put strict limits on the reach of the inspectors who would be tasked with this verification process in the first place.
Saddam placed similar inspection limits and restrictions, which led to the UNMOVIC and IAEA footprint being pulled (Mar 18, 2003). The shooting began the following day.
