TEHRAN – Chief of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Hossein Salami said on Saturday that Washington’s wars have claimed the lives of 8.5 million people during the past 40 years, Mehr reported.

Major General Salami also said that the United States has been directly or indirectly involved in most of the wars in the Islamic world over the last 40 years.

He made the remarks in a ceremony to unveil the new wall paintings of the former U.S. embassy in Tehran, which is also known as the U.S. “den of espionage” in Iran.

On November 4, 1979, a group of Iranian students stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans, including diplomats and staff, hostage. They were held hostage for 444 days.

The embassy in Tehran is now an Islamic cultural center and a museum. It stands as a symbol of the Iranian revolution.

Each year on November 4, Iranians take to the streets across the country to commemorate the anniversary of the embassy seizure.

Pointing to the former U.S. embassy, Salami said “for years, this place had been a place for attempts against the country’s interests.”

“The Americans speak of freedom and democracy but all dictators in the world are pawns in their game of chess,” he said, adding, “Dictators such as Iran’s Shah and reactionary kings in Islamic countries have been and still are their elements.”

The top general also said wherever a coup is orchestrated, Washington is behind that.

He was making a reference to the 28 Mordad coup, which saw the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh on August 19, 1953 in favor of strengthening the monarchical rule of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran.

“The U.S. measure in the coup d’état and reinstalling of Mohammad Reza Shah led to Iran’s backwardness and expanded the [U.S.’s] colonial nature,” said General Salami.

“Can a regime that orchestrates coup d’états in different countries be the flag-bearer of democracy in the world?” he asked rhetorically.

The IRGC chief also said the Americans have been, for a long time, failing to succeed in their plans.

“The U.S. pays the costs and its enemies emerge victorious … In spite of Washington’s efforts, others reap the benefits,” he added.

MH/PA