Iranian Quotations

I grew up thinking of myself as an American but also, because of my parents and the Iranian culture that was in our home, as an Iranian. So if there's any such thing as dual loyalty, then I have it - at least culturally.

Iranian parents can't stop their children. They're just wild - they want to party, they want their rights, they want to paint, they want to dance. No one can stop these new generations coming. That's why Iran has to open up: it's like a pot full of hot water, vapour and steam.

Nobody has trusted the Iranian government from day one, but the idea of just refusing to have any kind of talks is dangerous in the extreme. Every administration says at least that we're trying to have talks between Israel and Palestine and solve the Middle East peace problem.

With the common Iranian threat bringing the Sunni Arab world and Israel closer together, an Israeli-Palestinian peace would go a long way in improving relations and rebuffing Iran's regional ambitions.

My dad is a gentle and brilliant Iranian violinist.

There's a lack of knowledge about Iran and the Iranian people.

Being political is an integral part of being Iranian. Our lives are defined by politics.

The Arab spring was not as radical as the French or Iranian revolutions. It did not pull out the deeply entrenched roots of the state. Instead, it was satisfied to replace the top of the pyramid with newly elected, but inexperienced, leaders.

Every Iranian artist dreams of the black market. We don't care about making money.

I wouldn't discount the possibility that the Israelis would act if they came to the conclusion that basically the world was prepared to live with Iran with nuclear weapons. They certainly have the capability by themselves to set back the Iranian nuclear program.

My sister married an American and took his name, and my brother has shortened Sayrafiezadeh to Sayraf. So now he's Jacob Sayraf, or sometimes Jake Sayraf. He made the change when he was a teenager, prior to the Iranian revolution and the hostage crisis. So I don't think it was motivated by any anti-Iranian sentiment in the United States.

Technical knowledge has now become an integral aspect of the Iranian psyche.

That President Mohammad Khatami's policies have been blocked is the bitterest incident in the contemporary Iranian history. This means that the wishes of millions of people who voted for Khatami and called for freedom and justice have been ignored... Why should cultural activities and journalism be so risky in Iran?

In Iranian cinema, all the lying takes place before making the film. In order to be able to make the film, you have to lie.

I suppose my Iranian identity is one of the driving forces for being a writer: I want to set the record straight about who I really am.

I think the Bush Administration had basically inherited a policy toward Iraq from the Reagan/Bush Administration that saw Iraq as a kind of fire wall against Iranian fundamentalism. And as it developed over the 1980s, it became a real political run-a-muck... even though the Iraqis were known to be harboring Palestinian terrorists.

There's an expression in Persian, 'to play with the lion's tail.' I wasn't what Iranian society wanted me to be - a good girl. I played with the lion's tail.

The Iranian people, with regards to the policies of various American administrations in the past 30 years, are very worried. They don't trust them.

When it comes to nuclear technology, the Iranian people are very sensitive. It is a part of our national pride, and nuclear technology has become indigenous.

I was born in Brooklyn and raised in Pittsburgh. I've never been to Iran, I don't speak the language, and, probably most important of all, my Iranian father left home when I was nine months old. That's the extent of my connection to Iran.

Lying and corruption are in the Iranian society in all sense of the world, and if you do research about married women, you see that a lot of them tell you they get a lot of enjoyment from breaking the rules of corruption, because just for the fact that they break the rules, it makes them oppose the system.

In many ways I'm similar to Barack Obama, who also has a strange name but was raised by a white American mother. His background is far more complicated than his name would suggest. Furthermore, the fact that I was a child during the hostage crisis has caused me to equate being Iranian with being alienated.

We are determined to provide for the nuclear fuel of such plants inside the country, at the hands of local Iranian scientists. We are going to follow on this path.

When you think about Twitter and you think what a dumb stupid throwaway technology, and then you have the Iranian elections and it actually saves the day - you can't prejudge technologies now because they have effects you may not have intended.

Under Saddam Hussein, the nation of Iraq possessed and used chemical weapons against both their own Kurdish population and Iranian military forces.

Stuxnet, a computer worm reportedly developed by the United States and Israel that destroyed Iranian nuclear centrifuges in attacks in 2009 and 2010, is often cited as the most dramatic use of a cyber weapon.

We believe that there are elements of Iranian society - I put it no higher than that - who may well be associated with the attacks on British troops,

There are chances of a peaceful solution to the Iranian problem.

We still want to reach a formula to prove that we will not divert uranium enriched on Iranian soil. We are prepared to hold talks with anyone who has something to say.

We appreciate the Iranian backing, in particular in these difficult conditions for our people, who are undergoing a suffocating blockade.

Unless Dubai is willing to impose restrictions on what Iran can buy, there's no hope of stopping the Iranian bomb program.

U.S. spying activities over Iranian airspace have been going since a long time ago,

We hope very much from the Iranian side some movement will take place before that date. If nothing happens, the Iranian government should know what may happen on March 6.

We hope very much from the Iranian side some movement takes place before that date.

The crazy excuses, Iranian nuclear threats or Nigerian unrest, I shake my head when I hear it. It was hurricanes before. It's a very crazy market, and unfortunately we're stuck with it just like Air Canada and any other transportation companies.

The crack spread of gasoline has collapsed, and only an escalation of Iranian tensions could buttress crude at this level.

We have heard various opinions from our Iranian partners on that issue. One of them has come from the Foreign Ministry - our partners told us they did not exclude the implementation of our proposal. In any case, it's necessary to work carefully and avoid any erroneous moves.

We very much hope that these sanctions will not be implemented bluntly in a way that would be damaging to the Iranian people, but it is going to be sanctions that will get the attention of the Iranian government.

The prime minister calls on the international community to continue and pressure the Iranian authorities to free the innocent prisoners.

Lower withdrawals than most estimates -- at 20 billion cubic feet -- are bearish for gas, but the concern about the Nigerian supply of crude and the reaction to the Iranian situation could result in crude giving gas some support.

Most of the traders are looking at the Iranian issue over the bearish inventory report.

Much of our argument is likely to be with the U.S. government, rather than the Iranian government,

Obviously what we want to see, what the Russians want to see, I think what the EU-3 want to see, what the IAEA want to see, is Iranian cooperation. To the extent that they do that, it's a good thing. Does this statement by this one person constitute that? At this point, it's just hard to say. We'll have to see.

no one in the international community defended what the Iranian president said and the Security Council itself issued a statement.

Moscow sees no reason to submit the question of the Iranian nuclear program to the UN Security Council,

My family is a Jewish Iranian family, but I was born in Turkey and raised in Italy. So it's a very mixed background.

Obviously the Iranian thing is a wild card and nothing's going to get resolved in the short term, but the earnings are really what's key to the market and any longer-term perspective.

Policies intended to bring about the termination of the Iranian and (North Korean) nuclear weapons programs, which result in reducing the council's role under the (U.N.) Charter, would truly be unfortunate and ironic.

No American soldier should be allowed to se t foot on Iranian soil, regardless of the criticism we have of the Iranian government.

Only one American has given his life for Iranian democracy. He was a young idealist from Nebraska named Howard Baskerville. In 1907, fresh out of Princeton, Baskerville went to Iran as a schoolteacher. He found himself in the midst of a revolution against tyranny, and was carried away with passion for the democratic cause.

If we find any truth in these claims, we will not hesitate to take up the matter with Iranian authorities,

If we reach the point where the existing international apparatus do not meet the the Iranian nation's right, the Islamic Republic's policies might come under re-examination.

If the Security Council can't deal with something like the Iranian nuclear weapons program, then it's hard to imagine what circumstances the (UN) Charter contemplated the Council would be involved in.

If the rise in imports and utilization manifest this week continues next week, it could apply some downward pressure. Of course, any decline in petroleum prices would be predicated on the notion that the Iranian geopolitical situation remains relatively quiet.

If they want to destroy the Iranian nation's rights by that course, they will not succeed.

If this leads to the shut-off of Iranian oil, I think it would probably mean we've got bigger problems than the price of oil. But if we end up with a 1970s-style oil embargo, we could see prices go markedly higher into uncharted territory.

I have called the president of the Iranian Islamic republic to thank him for the support that he has shown towards the Palestinian people and I told him of our desire to have strong relations with all Arab and Muslim countries.

I don't know why some countries do not want to understand the fact that the Iranian people do not tolerate force.

I am here to further develop the history-honored relations between the two countries. I also come to thank the Iranian government and nation for their sincere help to Iraq,

China is concerned about the statement by the Iranian side and is worried about the way in which things are developing.

China believes that using diplomatic means within the framework of the Agency (IAEA) to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue is conducive to peace and stability in the region concerned, is conducive to safeguarding the international non-proliferation regime, and is in line with the fundamental interests of all parties.

China believes that the continuation of the diplomatic efforts remains the wise option for the solution of the Iranian nuclear issue.

Given OPEC's decision to keep quotas unchanged, Iranian guarantees of oil supply and U.S. statements excluding the possibility of oil sanctions, crude is poised to fall next week.

Frankly, we couldn't cope with the loss of Iranian oil.

From the 1920s into the 1940s, Britain's standard of living was supported by oil from Iran. British cars, trucks, and buses ran on cheap Iranian oil. Factories throughout Britain were fueled by oil from Iran. The Royal Navy, which projected British power all over the world, powered its ships with Iranian oil.

If we were able to reach a 'comfortable unease' on the Iranian situation, I think we'd see prices drop into the low $50s.

If the Iranian 'nuclear file' is passed to the UN Security Council, the world order will face global problems.

He is coming to inform us about the Iranian government's stance and discussions with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European Union ,

What we want to see, what the Russians want to see, what the EU-3 wants to see and what the IAEA wants to see is an Iranian cooperation. Does this statement by this one person constitute that? At this point, it's hard to say. We will have to see.

have worked very hard for two years to resolve this difficult issue. The only way to resolve it is diplomatically. But the Iranian president has offered nothing in this speech to suggest that he wants to abide by the agreement Iran has made.

Under no circumstances will we allow ourselves to be latched onto the tasteless media stunt of an Iranian newspaper.

We may also need to remove one of the Iranian arguments that the suspension called for is 'voluntary'. We could do both by making the voluntary suspension a mandatory requirement to the Security Council, in a Resolution we would aim to adopt (in) ... early May.

There are a lot of statements made by different Iranian officials every day that seem to contradict one another.

Jacques Chirac will probably discuss the Iranian nuclear stand- off as well as the Israel-Palestinian conflict. He must also speak up to promote democracy in the Middle East.

Just the fact that the Iranian government is making a lot of noise doesn't prove their capabilities.

I think it is an excellent proposal, but I am skeptical that the proposal would be accepted by the Iranian government.

I think the market here is in a very nervous state. You have geopolitical problems surrounding the Iranian situation heating up, and you have concerns about productivity, and that's keeping investors very cautious.

It is one of the great ironies of the American war in Iraq - was that the guys who really got the most out of it were the Iranians. And they have us to thank for that. Yeah, I mean we basically put Maliki in power in 2006, but he has been - he's really not a friend of the United States. He's a friend of the Iranian regime.

It is often the case that tastelessness is answered with tastelessness. But in this case it is more serious, because the Iranian government here is deliberately provoking a conflict.

I think there's a chance of getting above $3 this summer. I don't think we would expect it to stay up there unless there's a long-term Iranian embargo, or a long-term refinery outage.

I think there has been an agreement formed in the administration ... and the body politic of America - a nuclear armed Iranian leadership is unacceptable.

I say here that the U.S. government has no right to summon Iranian officials.

Our Iranian partners should come here in the near future, and talks will take place constantly.

Our Iranian partners are due to arrive within the next few days and negotiations are permanently in progress.

Pakistan wants peaceful resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue within the framework of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),

Referring Iran's file to the Security Council won't change the Iranian stance about uranium enrichment. It serves no one's interest.

Recently, there were some developments of the Iranian nuclear issue. We expressed our concern. ... We hope the parties should exercise restraint and not take any actions that lead to further escalation so we can solve the question properly through dialogue and diplomacy.

People know the Iranian situation will stay in the market for quite some time.

Some of the commodity investors went back into the market with the Iranian issue still looming as a worry.

My newspaper is trying to establish a contact with the Iranian newspaper and we would run the cartoons the same day as they publish them.

My physical presence as foreign minister at this evening's rally could cause harmful consequences to our national interests and to the security of our fellow citizens from the Iranian side.

I think sanctions that impact oil flows from Iran are very unlikely. The Chinese are major importers of Iranian crude and they would not be too happy to see that.

I think of myself, an Iranian/American artist, and wonder what would I want if I'm ever imprisoned by the Iranian government for the work that I make? I answer: I would hope that the United States government comes to my rescue.

It doesn't mean that the majority of the Iranian people think like that. They are staying in their homes. They are not on the streets.

I was profoundly shocked by the statements of the Iranian president, which are totally senseless and irresponsible,

We haven't turned down this proposal. The Iranian government is looking attentively at the proposal, but it needs time. So I think Russia should have a certain time to perfect this proposal.

will not live under the threat of an Iranian nuclear bomb.

We continue to stand with those who call for greater freedom for the Iranian people.

We hope this proposal and invitation can help break the impasse of the Iranian nuclear issue.

We hope these extremist comments by the Iranian president will make the international community open its eyes and abandon any illusions about this regime.