Supreme leader: Iran has outflanked US since 1979 revolution


By the Associated Press

Iran's supreme leader says his country has outmaneuvered the United States in the four decades since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

In this picture released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, reviews armed forces with Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, during a graduation ceremony at Iran's Air Defense Academy, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019. Khamenei, speaking at the academy, was quoted as saying that U.S. and Western intelligence services "are making chaos" in the region. He urged Iraq and Lebanon to prioritize national security and respect for law while also saying the protesters' demands are "right." (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP/MANILA BULLETIN) Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, reviews armed forces with Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, during a graduation ceremony at Iran's Air Defense Academy, in Tehran, Iran. Khamenei, speaking at the academy, was quoted as saying that US and Western intelligence services "are making chaos" in the region. He urged Iraq and Lebanon to prioritize national security and respect for law while also saying the protesters' demands are "right." (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP/MANILA BULLETIN)

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Iran has "trapped the other party in the corner of the ring in many cases."

He says U.S. aggression toward Iran has only grown "wilder and more flagrant" over the years.

Khamenei's official website published his remarks to thousands of students Sunday, a day before the 40th anniversary of the U.S. Embassy takeover in Tehran.

Tensions have been high between Washington and Tehran after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from Iran's 2015 nuclear deal.

The U.S. has sought to roll back Iran's influence across the region by imposing sanctions and providing military and other aid to its adversaries.