Iran’s supreme religious leader blasted the nation’s reformers as “either simpletons or traitors” during a fiery anti-Western speech marking the 20th anniversary of the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s speech, which also lashed out at “Zionists” as the “main policy-makers of America,” could impact the case of 13 Iranian Jews who were arrested earlier this year on charges of spying for Israel. The case’s outcome could hinge on the outcome of an ongoing tug-of-war between Iran’s hard-line and more moderate elements.
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