Arab spring threatens US and Israel - Iranian leader

The Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the recent popular uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa have Islamic roots and are anti-US and anti-Israel in nature, Press TV reports.

Addressing Iranian Foreign Ministry officials and ambassadors, Ayatollah Khamenei said on Wednesday that having Western media concede to the victory of Islamist figures in present and future elections in regional countries shows the Islamic nature of regional revolutions.

“Great developments are taking place in the region, Europe and the world, which must be monitored closely,” Khamenei said.

“Some people think that the US is controlling these developments from behind the scenes, but this is a disillusioned analysis…in the same way that 30 years ago some [analysts] thought the Islamic Revolution [of Iran] had been designed by the US,” Khamenei added.