West using "soft war" to weaken Iran from inside: Khamenei

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday warned against what he called the "soft war" of the West to harm the country.

"Continued economic sanctions, incessant political attacks and deceptive propaganda against Tehran" are the tactics that the global bullying powers have deployed to harm the establishment, Xinhua news agency cited a report from Khamenei's official website.

The Iranian leader expressed concerns over the influences of the enemy in the affairs of the country and said that the West is seeking "to influence (our) decisions and decision-making centres, to change the beliefs of the people, and to alter the calculations and the positions of the Iranian officials".

He criticised some local political trends "for their criticism of the revolutionary foundations of the Islamic establishment, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the Guardian Council and the revolutionary youth and cleric", saying that these critics follow the path paved by the foreigners who want to weaken the establishment from the inside.

Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting with the new members of the Assembly of Experts who are legally tasked to decide on the leadership of the country.

--IANS

lok/