Iran's Supreme Leader vows 'no retreat' as nuclear talks begin

Iran's Supreme Leader ruled out any “retreat” over his country's nuclear “rights” on Wednesday as a new round of talks with America and the world's leading powers began in Geneva.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a belligerent speech in Tehran, denouncing two of the six countries whose representatives will meet Iran's foreign minister.

France was guilty of “kneeling” before Israel, he said, while America “considered itself superior to mankind”. Israel, meanwhile, was led by people unworthy of the “title human”.

Ayatollah Khamenei's attack provoked an angry reaction from France. It also provided a reminder of the scrutiny that Iran's negotiators in Geneva will be under from the man who controls their government.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister, met Baroness Ashton, the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs, in Geneva yesterday. Lady Ashton chairs the “P5 plus 1”, consisting of the five permanent members of the Security Council - America, Britain, France, Russia and China - along with Germany. This group negotiates with Iran over the nuclear issue and the new talks are planned to last until tomorrow (FRI).

Officials from all sides have voiced optimism that an agreement is possible. One diplomat close to the talks said the outline of a possible deal was already on the table.

This would be a “first step” agreement designed to freeze Iran's nuclear programme in return for a limited easing of sanctions. The goal would be to buy time for a final settlement to be negotiated.

In a rare televised speech to the Basij militia, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “I insist on stabilising the rights of the Iranian nation, including the nuclear rights.” He added: “I insist on not retreating one step from the rights of the Iranian nation.”

The Supreme Leader said that Iran's negotiators must “respect these limits, and not fret” about the reaction of the “enemies”.

America had no respect for the “lives of nation”, he said, and “all US presidents” had shown the “same form of hostility” towards Iran by plotting “coups” and imposing sanctions.

Turning on Israel, Ayatollah Khamenei said the “Zionist regime is a regime whose pillars are extremely shaky and is doomed to collapse. Any phenomenon that is created by force cannot endure.”

The Ayatollah added: “The enemies of Iran - and particularly the rabid dog of the region, the Zionist regime - sometimes malevolently claim that Iran is a threat to the entire world. No. The threat is the Zionist regime and some of its supporters.”

Israel's leaders, added the Ayatollah, were unworthy of “the title of human”. They were also manipulating other countries in their own interests, he said.

Ayatollah Khamenei singled out France, claiming that Israeli influence lay behind the tough stance taken by Paris at the last nuclear talks 10 days ago. France was “kneeling before the Israeli regime,” he said.

A French government spokesman called these remarks “unacceptable” and warned that they would “complicate negotiations”.

However, the Supreme Leader balanced his ritual attack on America by saying that Iran wanted “friendly relations with all nations - even the United States”. His audience responded by chanting “Death to America”.

On Tuesday, Mr Zarif, an experienced foreign minister who lived in America for almost 20 years, delivered a very different message. In a video posted on Youtube, he said that “nuclear energy is not about joining a club or threatening others”. Instead the sole aim of Iran's nuclear programme was to “secure the future of our children”, he said.

At issue in Geneva will be precisely what nuclear work Iran would halt and exactly which sanctions would be lifted in return. The last meeting was joined by John Kerry, the US secretary of state, along with William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, and their French and German counterparts when agreement seemed possible.

A diplomat said the return of the foreign ministers to the new talks could not be ruled out.