TEHRAN – on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif responded to U.S. Secretary of States Mike Pompeo’s comments on demonstrations in Iran, saying it is better that Pompeo take a look at the situation in his country ranging from its support to “terror-sponsoring regimes”, “blind support” for Israel to “separation of immigrant families and caging of their babies”.

Pompeo on Wednesday claimed that protesters in Iran are fed up with the country's leadership.

"The people of Iran are tired of the corruption, injustice, and incompetence from their leaders," Pompeo said in a statement. "We condemn the government’s same futile tactics of suppression, imprisonment of protestors, and the denial of Iranians’ frustrations."
 
Zarif’s response to Pompeo titled “Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones,” said, “The U.S. government is squandering its citizens’ resources, whether it‘s adventurism in Iraq and Afghanistan, its blind support for Israel and other terror-sponsoring regimes, or its wasteful expansion of its nuclear arsenal: it will only add to the suffering of the people of America.” 

By terror-sponsoring regimes Zarif was openly referring to Washington’s support for Saudi Arabia which is internationally known as the hotbed of the ideology of terrorism which has manifested itself in the form terror groups such al-Qaeda, al-Nusra Front and ISIS.

The chief Iranian diplomat further said, “As I have said before, it should surprise no one that protests continue in the U.S; at the border, at prisons, and in Washington DC and all 50 states this weekend.” 

In response to Pompeo who said Iran was using its resources to support the Syrian government, Lebanese Hezbollah, and the Palestinian resistance groups, Zarif said, “The American people are demanding their leaders share the country’s wealth and respond to their legitimate needs, so that 40 million Americans won’t live below the poverty line in the world's richest nation.”

Zarif also pointed to scandalous separation of children from their parents in line with the anti-immigrant strategy adopted by the Trump administration. 

“We condemn the U.S. government’s same futile tactics of suppression, imprisonment of protesters, separation of immigrant families and caging of their babies, and the denial of Americans’ frustrations.”

Zarif added, “The people of the United States are tired of the corruption, injustice, and incompetence from their leaders. The world hears their voice.”

SP/PA