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Iran supreme leader says fate of nuclear deal still unclear

Ayatollah Khamenei received a group of participants in the 6th General Assembly of Ahlul Bayt (AS) and the 8th summit of the General Assembly of Islamic Radios and Televisions Union here in Tehran on Monday, cast doubt on the definitive fate of the nuclear deal, which incited much hope in both Tehran and Washington as a decisive deal to end the nuclear deadlock.

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“In their understanding of the deal, of which its fate is not clear since it is not clear if will be approved here or there, their intention was to find a way to penetrate into the country”, he said, referring to the US.

“We have closed such a path and will decisively shut it. We’ll allow neither economic nor political nor cultural intrusion by the United States”. Khamenei is opposed to a landmark nuclear deal reached with world powers, prominent hard-liner Hossein Shariatmadari, editor of the daily newspaper Kayhan and a representative of Khamenei, claimed in an editorial Saturday, August 15, 2015.

Taking to Twitter, the supreme leader elaborated on the US attempts to “infiltrate” the Islamic Republic.

If the deal is implemented, worldwide sanctions on Iran will be lifted, opening up a market of almost 80 million people to foreign investment after years of isolation.

The West long has suspected Iran’s nuclear program has a military dimension.

“It will be a long time, regardless of whether the deal goes through, before U.S. businesses will fully operate in Iran”, said Sarah Dayan, an analyst at consultancy The Risk Advisory Group in London.

The supreme leader added that Iran will not allow the influence of the United States in the region either.

“The Americans want to gain influence in the region and reach their goals”.

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Most analysts see the chance of Khamenei rejecting the deal as small after he gave President Hassan Rouhani the political cover to pursue talks.

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