Supreme Leader: Presidential Vote Showed Support For Iran's Islamic Establishment

Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (left) meets with the new president-elect, Hassan Rohani, in Tehran on June 16.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says the presidential election showed that even those who do not support the Islamic establishment trust it.

Khamenei made the comments in his first major address since the June 14 vote in which, according to official numbers, more than 70 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots.

He claimed that even those Iranians who may not support the establishment believe that it can defend Iran's national interests.

Khamenei also said that the crisis over Iran's sensitive nuclear work could be resolved if the West could stop being "stubborn."

He did not offer concrete measures he would like to see from Western countries.

Some analysts have described the victory of Iran's president-elect, moderate cleric Hassan Rohani, as an opportunity for the peaceful resolution of the nuclear dispute.

Based on reporting by Mehr and ISNA