BREAKING NEWS

Iran's leader dismisses president's detente policy with West ahead of vote

LONDON - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has criticized President Hassan Rouhani for saying his detente policy with the West had caused the threat of war to fade as tensions intensify in Tehran before May election.
Rouhani, a pragmatist whose election in 2013 led to a diplomatic thaw between Iran and the West, championed in 2015 a landmark deal in which Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear activities in return for lifting of international sanctions.
A standoff between Rouhani, who is seeking a second term, and Khamenei's allies, who opposed the nuclear deal, has intensified in recent months ahead of the May 19 vote.
"Some say since we took office the shadow of war has been faded away. This is not correct," Khamenei was quoted as saying by the state media on Sunday.