TEHRAN - Ali Akbar Velayati, a top advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, criticized on Sunday French President Emmanuel Macron over his tough stance toward Tehran, saying he should not blindly follow the U.S.

“To sustain its international credibility, France should not blindly follow the Americans ... The French president is now acting as Trump’s lapdog,” Daily Mail quoted him as saying.

During a visit to Dubai in November, Macron said he was “very concerned” by Tehran’s missile program after Riyadh claimed it had intercepted a missile fired from Yemen and accused Iran of arming Houthi Ansarullah fighters.

The French president also called for a firm stance over Iran’s ballistic missile program, raising the prospect of possible sanctions on Tehran with regard to those activities.

Velayati also criticized U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley.

Haley on Thursday presented the debris of a missile at a military base in Washington in which she claimed it had been made by Iran and used on November 4 by Yemen’s Houthi group to target an airport near Riyadh.

“This claim shows she lacks basic scientific knowledge and decency. She is like her boss (Trump) as he also says baseless, ridiculous things. Iran has not supplied Yemen with any missile,” Velayati said.

NA/PA