Ayatollah Khamenei says Occupy Wall Street could mark the fall of the west

More news about Iran comes today with comments made by Ayatollah Khamenei. In a speech broadcast on Iranian state television, he claimed that the Occupy Wall Street movements would be the end of capitalism in America.

From The Guardian:

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed the US was now in a full blown crisis because its "corrupt foundation has been exposed to the American people".

His remarks came during a rally in the western Iranian city of Kermanshah that drew tens of thousands of people. His speech was broadcast live on state TV.

The Occupy Wall Street movement started in New York last month. The loosely affiliated movement is peacefully protesting against the power of the financial and political sectors.

"They [the US government] may crack down on this movement but cannot uproot it," Khamenei said. "Ultimately, it will grow so that it will bring down the capitalist system and the west."

Foreign Policy covered Iran’s reaction to the Occupy Wall Street protests last week. Since the beginning of the the protests, Iran’s media has been in full swing, regularly editorializing it through its state-owned media outlets. However, Khamenei’s statements appear to be the first time a foreign leader has commented directly on the nature of these protests. It also comes at a time when relations between the United States and Iran are at an all time low following the alleged assasination attempt on the Saudi ambassador to the United States.