WANA (Mar 02) – This morning, Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, in his speech, referred to the Supreme Leader’s remarks from three years ago about the “mirage of U.S. support” not as a “prediction,” as some have previously interpreted, but as an “exposure.”

 

Ghalibaf stated: “What the wise Leader of the Revolution foresaw in an unshaped brick and exposed the true nature of the West’s greed, today, the people of the world see reflected in the mirror of the media.”

 

His reference was to the recent humiliation of Ukraine’s President at the White House by  U.S. President Donald Trump and his Vice President, J.D. Vance—an event that has dominated global media headlines over the past three days.

 

Three years ago, on February 29, 2022, Iran’s Supreme Leader said in a televised speech: “…The support of Western powers for the countries and governments that serve them is a mirage; it does not exist in reality. All governments should understand this. Those governments that rely on the U.S. and Europe should look at the current state of Ukraine and the past situation in Afghanistan. Both Ukraine’s president recently stated, and Afghanistan’s former president also admitted, ‘We trusted the U.S., we trusted Western governments, [but] they abandoned us.’ You cannot trust them…”

Following the recent reports of the U.S.’s degrading treatment of Ukraine’s president on American soil, some social media users reshared the Supreme Leader’s words, describing them as a fulfilled “prediction.” However, today, Iran’s Parliament Speaker reframed these remarks from three years ago, using the term “exposure” instead.

 

Unlike a prediction, which implies foresight into an uncertain future event, exposure suggests deep insight and revelation of an undeniable, pre-existing truth that was previously hidden from public view.

 

Perhaps for this reason, Ghalibaf also recalled another phrase often used in Iranian political discourse: “The iron fist of the oppressors has emerged from beneath their velvet glove.” He added: “What the entire world is now openly witnessing is that any country that outsources its security and progress to others or places even the slightest hope and trust in tyrants is destined to fail. Today, the velvet glove has been removed, and the iron fist of global oppressors is on full display for the world to see.”

 

The phrase “iron fist beneath the velvet glove” was first used by the Supreme Leader in a 2003 speech, where he said: “They conceal their iron claw within a silk glove.” He later reiterated this metaphor in a speech on March 21, 2009, in response to the Obama administration’s offer of negotiations: “Now, the new U.S. government says, ‘We want to negotiate with Iran; let’s forget the past.’ They claim they have extended a hand toward Iran. But what kind of hand is this? If a hand is extended with a velvet glove, but underneath it lies an iron fist, this means nothing good. They congratulate the Iranian people on the New Year, yet in the same message, they accuse the Iranian nation of supporting terrorism and seeking nuclear weapons!”

 

Before his assassination, General Qassem Soleimani had once spoken about the Supreme Leader’s exceptional leadership, saying: “A nation without a wise, insightful, and vigilant leader is doomed to failure. The key factor behind our nation’s success over the past 40 years, the reason Iran has become the axis and pillar of the Islamic world today, is above all, its leadership. Our Leader stands far ahead of his nation, watching over them, warning them in time, calling for readiness, mobilizing the people, and guiding officials. This leadership is the core reason behind our success.”

 

Zelensky and Trump

Zelensky Trapped: The Mirage of Western Support

WANA (Mar 01) – Last night, the global political stage witnessed a tense and controversial event. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, faced a humiliating encounter. What was supposed to be a crucial agreement on mineral resources between Washington and Kyiv turned into a heated verbal clash in the […]

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More recently, on February 8, 2025, the Supreme Leader addressed negotiations with the U.S., stating: “Negotiating with the U.S. has no impact on resolving the country’s problems; we must understand this correctly. Let them not deceive us into thinking that sitting at the negotiating table with that government will solve any issues—it will not. Why? Experience.

 

In the 2010s, we engaged in about two years of negotiations with the U.S.—of course, other countries were involved, but the U.S. was the main player. Our government at the time sat down, talked, smiled, shook hands, acted friendly, and eventually reached an agreement. In that agreement, the Iranian side showed great generosity, offering many concessions. Yet, the Americans did not uphold their end of the deal.

 

The very person who is now in office tore up that agreement. He simply said, ‘I will tear it up,’ and he did. Even before he came into power, those who had signed the deal never truly adhered to it. The agreement was supposed to lift U.S. sanctions, but the sanctions remained. They even used the UN to create a constant looming threat over Iran.

 

That agreement was the result of negotiations that lasted about two years. This is an experience—we must learn from it. We negotiated, conceded, and compromised, but we did not achieve the intended outcome. And even with all its flaws, the other side still broke, violated, and tore apart the deal. With such a government, negotiations are neither rational, nor intelligent, nor honorable.”