Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: ‘Death to America’ chant refers to policies

The slogan “Death to America” is not aimed at the American people, but rather American policies, Iran’s Supreme Leader said in comments reported on his official website on Tuesday.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei discussed the slogan while meeting with Iranian students ahead of the anniversary of the takeover of the US embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979. Militant students stormed the compound and took 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.

The two countries have had no diplomatic relations since then. However, current President Hassan Rouhani has made efforts to improve relations, including a landmark nuclear agreement reached with world powers this past summer.

Ayatollah Khamenei says the “aim of the slogan is not death to American people. The slogan means death to US policies and arrogance.” The slogan has “strong support” In Iran, he said.

Ayatollah Khamenei and hard-liners in the Iranian government remain deeply suspicious of the United States and view its policies a threat to the country.

He reiterated his warning that the US is not to be trusted despite the nuclear deal reached with the US, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany. The agreement promises Tehran relief from crippling economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme.

He said the US “will not hesitate” if given a chance to destroy Iran. “The nature of the US attitude is continuation of the same hostile aims from the past, and the nation will not forget this,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.

Meanwhile, the Iranian authorities have arrested three pro-reform journalists, the ILNA news agency said, one of whom has been critical recently of Ayatollah Khamenei.

The agency, which is close to the country’s reformists, did not say when Issa Saharkhiz and Ehsan Mazandarani were detained or on what charges.

Separately, the Mehr news agency announced the arrest of Afarine Chitsaz, a journalist with government newspaper Iran.

Mr Saharkhiz was released in 2013 after serving three years in prison for insulting Ayatollah Khamenei.