TEHRAN: Iran's supreme leader dismissed on Sunday the prospect of foreign
countries bartering a deal over Syria's future, saying a halt to
fighting and fresh elections is the only solution.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also repeated his ban on direct talks with the United States about turmoil in the Middle East, saying US objectives in the region were utterly at odds with Iranian policy.
The comments, to Iran's ambassadors and other top diplomats, were Khamenei's first since his country joined on Friday international talks in Vienna on the four-year Syrian conflict.
In a wide-ranging speech on foreign policy Khamenei said Syria's people must choose for themselves who their leader would be, rather than US and other foreign powers deciding for them.
"The Americans seek to impose their own interests, not solve problems. They want to impose 60, 70 percent of their will in negotiations. So what's the point of negotiations?" he said, appearing to discount the value of the Vienna talks.
Top diplomats from 17 countries, as well as the United Nations and the European Union, had gathered in Austria to narrow their divisions over Syria's war, which has killed more than 250,000.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also repeated his ban on direct talks with the United States about turmoil in the Middle East, saying US objectives in the region were utterly at odds with Iranian policy.
The comments, to Iran's ambassadors and other top diplomats, were Khamenei's first since his country joined on Friday international talks in Vienna on the four-year Syrian conflict.
In a wide-ranging speech on foreign policy Khamenei said Syria's people must choose for themselves who their leader would be, rather than US and other foreign powers deciding for them.
"The Americans seek to impose their own interests, not solve problems. They want to impose 60, 70 percent of their will in negotiations. So what's the point of negotiations?" he said, appearing to discount the value of the Vienna talks.
Top diplomats from 17 countries, as well as the United Nations and the European Union, had gathered in Austria to narrow their divisions over Syria's war, which has killed more than 250,000.
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