(MENAFN) Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared on Sunday that the United States challenges Iran because it seeks an "obedient" nation, a demand he described as "offensive," pledging that Iran will resist such pressure.

Speaking in Tehran, Khamenei dismissed calls for direct talks with Washington, asserting that U.S. hostility toward Iran has remained steadfast since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, according to a local news agency.

He highlighted a June 13 attack on Iran and claimed that the following day, U.S.-linked groups convened in a European capital to plot a "post-Islamic Republic" scenario, including suggestions to reinstate a monarchy. However, Khamenei said these efforts failed due to the determination of the Iranian people and the strength of state institutions.

Calling for national unity, he urged support for President Masoud Pezeshkian and cautioned that Iran’s enemies are attempting to foment internal divisions.

Khamenei also denounced Israel’s operations in Gaza, called on Western nations to stop backing the campaign, and endorsed the Yemen-based Houthi movement’s actions against Israel as legitimate.

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