TEHRAN – Japanese citizens have expressed anger over a social media post by outgoing U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel, in which he reiterated his inflammatory remarks about China, Iran, Russia, North Korea, and Venezuela, labeling them an "axis of autocrats."

“I’m going out like I came in: Never afraid to share my views,” the former American chief of staff stated in a post on X, after claiming that the five countries are “as weak as the societies they have broken.”

“The leaders of the ‘axis of autocrats’ have more in common than style alone. China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela bear the same hallmarks: Their economies are failing, their societal legitimacy is faltering, capital is fleeing, and their youth are breaking free. The autocrats’ bluster and bravado don’t fool those of us who believe in freedom, rights, and democracy,” Emanuel wrote on Monday. 

The ambassador, who assumed his role in August 2021, first made the controversial comments during an interview with American media that largely centered around his own positive assessment of his ambassadorship to Japan.

However, Japanese citizens have condemned the outgoing envoy for his remarks, asserting that the U.S. is the real autocrat. 

“Americans have hundreds of military bases around the world. You have started tens of wars and killed millions of people. It’s unbelievable that you have the audacity to point fingers at others,” wrote one Japanese citizen under Emanuel’s post. 

“Are Russians and Iranians raping Japanese girls? No! American soldiers are doing that, and their crimes are not even being investigated properly,” wrote another Japanese citizen in response to Emanuel. 

In the past three decades, numerous incidents involving American military personnel stationed in Japan sexually assaulting Japanese women and girls have emerged, provoking outrage among the local population. 

Last year, an unnamed American soldier was charged with sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl in Okinawa, which is home to half of the 54,000 U.S. service members in Japan. This case particularly infuriated the Japanese public as it resurfaced painful memories of a similar crime from 1995. In that distressing incident, three U.S. Marine Corps members kidnapped a 12-year-old girl walking home from school and raped her in a car. The fact that the American military took control of the prosecution of the rapists only intensified the anger felt by many Japanese citizens, as it is believed that many such cases have not been brought to light. 

Others reacting to the envoy’s vilification of U.S. rivals argued that he was interfering in Japan's internal affairs. “Do not bring your personal feelings to Japan. We don’t care about your competition with other countries,” wrote one Japanese man. Some also mocked Emanuel’s assessment of the economies of Iran, China, and Russia as “failing.” “Says the almighty USA that can't even have a working water hydrant,” was another pointed response.

Iran's embassy in Japan also responded to the American ambassador's remarks, stating on X, "The primacy of American interests over international law is the perennial fulcrum of U.S. foreign policy and its support for autocrats, coups, and interventions. Defy this and get bashed." The embassy then pointed to the 1953 U.S.-orchestrated coup in Iran, which overthrew the democratically-elected government of Mohammad Mosadegh.