Zarif's response to Trump's criticism of the Iranian government
Following the statements of US President Donald Trump, who made strong criticisms against Tehran during his speech in Saudi Arabia, the Iranian Foreign Minister has reacted on his Twitter account.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday, May 11, in Saudi Arabia, blamed Iran for “training armed groups in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq,” describing the Iranian government as one that “provides safe haven and financial support to terrorists.” The US president also stressed that there is a difference between “rich and cultured” Iranians and the Iranian government.
On the same day, Mohammad Javad Zarif, referring to Mr. Trump's harsh criticism, wrote in a sarcastic tone on his Twitter account, "Iran - which has just gone through a real election - has been targeted by the US President, in [a country that is] the cradle of democracy and moderation."
The Iranian Foreign Minister added, “[Is this] foreign policy or just milking Saudi Arabia for $480 billion?”
The Iranian Foreign Minister is referring to the “new elections” as the country’s presidential elections. In the 12th round of the Iranian presidential elections, Hassan Rouhani won with more than 23 million votes. The electoral process in Iran has been criticized both at home and abroad. International non-governmental organizations, including by pointing to the role of the Guardian Council in “disqualifying” a large number of candidates or “escalating human rights violations” on the eve of the elections, describe the process as far from criteria such as freedom of choice or competitiveness.
In the recent ranking of political and civil liberties in more than 190 countries and regions by the non-governmental organization Freedom House, Iran and Saudi Arabia are both in the bottom positions; Iran is ranked 23rd and Saudi Arabia is the 11th country from the bottom of the table.
Hours before his Twitter post, Mr. Zarif had also said in an article for the Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed website in London, "If the US president considers himself a friend [of the Saudi government] and is loyal to his election slogans, he should enter into dialogue with them to prevent terrorists and Takfiris from inciting insurrection in the region, and the repetition of another 9/11 by their perpetrators in Western countries."
Saudi Arabia has denied any connection between its government and the perpetrators of attacks such as the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.
Iran and Saudi Arabia support opposing sides in a number of conflicts in the Middle East, from Syria to Yemen. Saudi Arabia is a US ally and has repeatedly accused Iran of meddling in Arab affairs. Iran currently has no diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia or the US. The Iranian government has denied the allegations.
Source: Radio Farda
