Trump’s Iran Terror Comments Draw Ire in Tehran A string of rhetorical attacks from Iranian officials against perceived U.S. aggression has preceded the 40th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution By Sune Engel Rasmussen
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trumps-iran-terror-comments-draw-ire-in-tehran-11549456108
Iran hit back at President Trump’s State of the Union address in which he called Tehran the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, saying the U.S. has a history of backing brutal regimes in the Middle East.
“U.S. hostility has led it to support butchers & extremists, who’ve only brought ruin to our region,” Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tweeted Wednesday.
Responding to Mr. Trump’s allegations that Iran has threatened genocide against the Jewish people, Mr. Zarif said that all Iranians, including Jewish compatriots, were commemorating 40 years of progress despite U.S. pressure.
The comments were the latest in a string of rhetorical attacks from Iranian officials using the 40th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution on Feb. 11 to attack the U.S. for perceived aggression and imperialism around the world.
The 1979 Iranian revolution, which toppled the authoritarian regime of the U.S.-backed shah, began four decades of hostility between Tehran and Washington. To the U.S., countering Iranian influence remains a primary objective of its presence in the Middle East.
In his State of the Union address, Mr. Trump also noted that his withdrawal last year from the multination nuclear pact with Iran and the subsequent imposition of sanctions were to ensure Tehran never acquired nuclear weapons.
“We will not avert our eyes from a regime that chants death to America and threatens genocide against the Jewish people,” Mr. Trump said during the address to U.S. lawmakers.
And in an interview with CBS on Sunday, Mr. Trump said he wanted to keep U.S. troops in Iraq, who are there to fight Islamic State, “because I want to be able to watch Iran.” CONTINUE AT SITE
Iran, meanwhile, sees the U.S. presence in neighboring Iraq since 2003 as a threat to its national security. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday said Mr. Trump’s remarks exposed U.S. lies about its intentions.
“First, you say that ‘we have come to Iraq for security reasons.’ Then you candidly announce ‘we will stay in Iraq to watch Iraq’s neighbor,’ meaning Iran,” Mr. Rouhani said at a book award ceremony in Tehran in comments carried by the state news broadcaster. “This shows your true color,” he said. “Why do you occupy the soil of foreign countries?”
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