TEHRAN – The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said on Wednesday that some U.S. officials are “first-class idiots”, questioning the sensibility of their failing plots against Iran.

Addressing a large gathering of people from the central holy city of Qom, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the 1979 Islamic Revolution is the main reason behind Washington’s deep and lasting hostility toward Iran.

In particular he pointed to a U.S. statesman’s promise, in a gathering of “terrorists and thugs” months ago, that they would celebrate New Year 2019 in Tehran.

He compared the calculation ability of the U.S. statesmen to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein who had hoped to conquer Tehran within a week at the beginning of his invasion of Iran in September 1980.

The Leader said the Americans speak gleefully of “strongest sanctions in history” against Iran, “but the Iranian nation will, God willing, make them suffer an unprecedented defeat in history.”

He urged steadfastness in the face of the U.S. and Europe’s “militarism, bluster, and idle talk,” saying, “Neither their threats, nor their words and promises, and not even their signatures are creditworthy.”

SP/PA