Iran's Supreme Leader Says US Still Hostile After Nuclear Deal

The United States is still fundamentally hostile to Iran and its policies have undermined the benefits of sanctions relief, the Islamic Republic's top religious leader said on Sunday, warning Iranians not to trust their old enemy.

"In Western countries and places which are under U.S. influence, our banking transactions and the repatriation of our funds from their banks face problems ... because (banks) fear the Americans," Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said during a rally celebrating Newroz  in Shi'ite holy city of Mashhad.

"The U.S. Treasury ... acts in such a way that big corporations, big institutions and big banks do not dare to come and deal with Iran," Khamenei added.

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His comments echoed concerns by the Central Bank of Iran that remaining U.S. sanctions have scared off European firms.

The implementation of the Iran earlier this year saw many international sanctions on Iran lifted. Since then foreign business delegations have flocked to Tehran and billions of dollars of deals have been signed.

However, according to Reuters, European banks and other companies have stayed away, largely due to remaining U.S. sanctions. That, Khamenei argued, was a sign that Iran should be economically self-reliant because the U.S. and its allies were not reliable partners.

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Stressing his point, Khamenei sat on a stage that carried a large banner reading "the year of the Resistance Economy: Action and Implementation". It was his chosen slogan for the Iranian year 1395 that began on Sunday.

Meanwhile In a video message earlier, President Hassan Rouhani, one of the main forces behind the Iran nuclear dead, predicted that Iran’s economy was set to blossom in the near future as his government is engaging with other countries.

"I am sure that with cooperation and effort inside the country, and constructive engagement with the world, our economy can bloom and develop," he said.

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Khamenei also pointed to an institutional hostility towards Iran in the U.S. presidential election, saying the candidates had "competed to vilify Iran in their speeches".

The top cleric also said Washington had no business trying to stop Iran developing its defensive capabilities, including missiles, or carrying out military drills.

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