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Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (right) with members of the Assembly of Experts in Tehran on March 8. (Reuters)
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has welcomed comments by US President Barack Obama dampening talk of military operations against Iran over its nuclear programme, the Iranian state news agency IRNA said on Thursday.
"We heard two days ago that the US president said that (they) are not thinking about war with Iran. These words are good words and an exit from delusion," Khamenei was quoted by Irna as saying.
It is rare for Iran's most powerful figure to praise the US leader. But Khamenei added that Obama had also spoken about bringing "the Iranian people to their knees through sanctions. This part of his comments shows that the illusion continues".
On Tuesday, Obama said there was a "window of opportunity" to use diplomacy to resolve issues about Iran's nuclear programme and that it was in everyone's interest to see if they can be resolved in a peaceful fashion.
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