TEHRAN – The high public turnout in the past three presidential elections in the country indicates the nation’s trust in the Islamic establishment, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution has said.

Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei made the remarks while addressing a large group of people in Tehran on Wednesday.

He said despite the fact that there were some claims of vote rigging in the 2009 presidential election, investigations showed that such remarks were false, and even if there were violations “none was effective in (changing) the result of the elections.”

Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized that no one is allowed to violate the people’s votes and the protection of which is a “religious and Islamic obligation.”

The Leader also stated that the system managed to protect the people’s vote in the 2009 presidential elections, when 40 million electorates turned out.

Ayatollah Khamenei also said it is the Guardian Council that should verify the qualification of candidates for election.

“One of the greatest blessings of the Guardian Council is that it guards against any violation or mistake,” the Leader noted, adding that there are other bodies which are active in doing so.

Elsewhere, the Leader said Tehran “did not and will not hold talks with America on issues other than nuclear negotiations.”

“We agreed to hold talks with Americans only about the nuclear issue and for particular reasons. And thank God, our negotiators did a good job,” he said, adding that he had not authorized negotiations on other issues.

U.S. officials seek to hold negotiations with Iran because they see negotiations as a means to influence the country and impose demands on Iran, the Leader asserted.

On comments made by Israeli officials about Iran for the coming 25 years as a result of the nuclear agreement, the Leader said, “First of all you will not [survive long enough to] see the next 25 years. And God willing, no such thing as ‘the Zionist regime’ will exist in the next 25 years.”

“Secondly, during this period, the combatant, and epic, and jihadi spirit will never leave Zionists alone for a single instance.”

Referring to the late Imam Khomeini’s description of the United States as “the Great Satan,” the Leader said, “Some people insist on disguising this Great Satan as the savior angel. [However,] the Iranian nation expelled this Satan [from the country].”

“We must not allow the Great Satan to return and gain influence against the country,” he reaffirmed.

MD/PA

Leader says protection of people’s votes is a ‘religious and Islamic obligation’