TEHRAN - Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Sunday that the Iranian people condemn U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s support for rioters.

“Actions being taken by a number of rioters and saboteurs who are supported by someone like him [Pompeo] have nothing to do with the insightful Iranian people,” Mousavi said.

Protests have been sparked in some cities in Iran against the government’s measure in rationing gasoline and substantially increasing gasoline price. The protests have turned violent with reports of clashes between security forces and certain elements vandalizing public property.

“Interesting! They are expressing sympathy with the people who are under the United States’ economic terrorism,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi noted. Mousavi added that the Iranian people are well aware that such supports “are not out of sympathy”.

“Interesting! They are expressing sympathy with the people who are under the United States’ economic terrorism,” he noted. 

Mousavi added that Pompeo is claiming support for the Iranian people while he had said before that Iran should surrender if it wants its people to eat.

Pompeo tweeted on Saturday, “As I said to the people of Iran almost a year and a half ago: The United States is with you.”

He said in another tweet, “The way forward is clear: continued pressure until Iran negotiates a comprehensive agreement that includes halting its support to terror groups like PIJ. Nations around the world can no longer claim to want peace in the region yet allow Iran’s threats to go unchallenged.”

Pompeo is calling PIJ - Palestinian Islamic Jihad – whose lands have been stolen by Israel. The remarks by Pompeo shows that if if somebody rebel against occupation is terrorist.
 
In remarks almost a year ago, Pompeo said Iranian officials must listen to Washington “if they want their people to eat”.

U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from the 2015 nuclear deal in May 2018, restored the previous sanctions and ordered new ones. Trump has described his government’s sanctions against Iran as the “maximum pressure”.

Iranian officials describe Washington’s unilateral sanctions as an “economic war” and “economic terrorism”.

NA/PA