Iranian cleric says US prediction of Iran's economic collapse has not materialized

Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Khatami, speaking at Friday prayers in Tehran, said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had predicted Iran's economy would collapse within two weeks, but the economy did not collapse and instead became more dynamic and viable. He added that the head of the World Economic Forum has also confirmed that Iran managed to bring the situation under control in the best possible manner over the past month, and that the coming year will be economically brilliant for the Iranian nation.

Khatami stated that the United States failed to achieve its goal in what he described as an imposed war against the Iranian people. He also commented on the political situation of US President Donald Trump, saying that Trump has been campaigning for his party and has faced public protests wherever he has gone, including being interrupted five times during one speech. Khatami described this as a sign of protest against the American president, noting that Trump's popularity rating inside the United States has fallen below 40 percent.

The cleric also referred to Iran's armed forces, saying they gave a lesson to the US president, forcing the US Navy fleet to move several hundred kilometers away from Iranian territory, which he said demonstrates Iran's power on the international stage. He thanked the Iranian armed forces and the people for their resistance in the face of US and Israeli aggression.

Khatami reiterated that US officials' predictions about the collapse of Iran's economy have not and will not materialize. According to Mehr News, the remarks were made during the Friday prayers sermon in Tehran.