Iran's leader calls for parliament that stands up to the West

'The nation will vote for a parliament that puts Iran's dignity and independence first' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

DUBAI: Iran's top leader said on Wednesday he was confident Friday's elections would return a parliament prepared to resist interference by foreign powers including the United States, according to his website.

"The nation will vote for a parliament that puts Iran's dignity and independence first, and stands up to foreign powers whose influence on Iran has been removed," Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said.



Earlier, an Iranian-American businessman detained in Iran since October was denied access to his lawyer by authorities, his attorney and family said in an interview and on social media over the last two days.



Siamak Namazi, a dual US-Iranian citizen, was detained by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in October while visiting family, according to a source familiar with the matter who declined to be identified.