Opposition to the U.S. and Israel remain a major pillar of the Islamic Republic's radical populist ideology. "Death to America" is a ubiquitous rallying cry, and opponents of the system are often tarnished by accusations of being American or Israeli dupes.
Obama's friendly tone, personal ties to the Muslim world and immense popularity throughout Iran and the Middle East pose a unique challenge for a government that describes the United States as an unjust power bent on destroying Islam.
Washington and Tehran went separate ways after the 1979 revolution that overthrew the U.S.-backed monarch Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi and established the Islamic Republic. That same year, radical Iranian students seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held American employees hostage for 444 days.
Khamenei said that lifting economic sanctions and retracting "hostile propaganda" would be among the welcomed shifts in U.S. policies.
"For you to say that we will both talk to Iran and simultaneously exert pressure on her, both threats and appeasement, our nation hates this approach," he said.
Obama has said he is committed to improving America's image abroad after what most analysts consider a sullying of the U.S. reputation in the wake of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and abuses of detainees in the Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay military prisons.
To improve America's standing abroad, Khamenei advised Obama to "avoid an arrogant tone, avoid arrogant behavior, avoid bullying behavior, do not interfere in nations' affairs, be contented with your own share, do not define interests extraterritorially all over the world."
He urged Obama to get his words translated, but suggested he not use "Zionist" translators, drawing laughter from the audience.
--
daragahi@latimes.com
