TEHRAN: Iran's supreme leader says his country will defeat a combination of sanctions, military threats and "soft wars" launched by enemies aimed at weakening Iran.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's remarks come as tensions mount in the standoff between Iran and the West over Tehran's nuclear program following the toughening of Western sanctions this summer in response to the Islamic Republic's refusal to halt uranium enrichment.
His comments to a large group of people in the town of Esfarayen in northeast Iran were broadcast Saturday on state TV.
The U.S. and its allies accuse Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapon, a charge Tehran denies.