While Trump may have flip-flopped on Qatar, no longer lashing out at the Gulf nation and instead offering to mediate a resolution of the crisis, the president’s attitude toward “the world’s top sponsor of terrorism” Saudi Arabia Iran remains, as evidenced by the purposefully undiplomatic statement issued on Wednesday in response to the deadly terrorist attack which took place earlier in the day in Tehran. Trump said he prayed for the victims of Wednesday’s attacks that were claimed by Islamic State, but added that “states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote.
Statement by the President on the Terrorist Attacks in Iran
We grieve and pray for the innocent victims of the terrorist attacks in Iran, and for the Iranian people, who are going through such challenging times. We underscore that states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote.
As one can imagine, Iran was not amused, and as Reuters reports this morning, the country’s foreign minister rejected Donald Trump’s condolences for deadly attacks in Tehran, calling the U.S. president’s words “repugnant.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
On his Twitter account, Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote: “Repugnant White House statement …. Iranian people reject such U.S. claims of friendship.”
Repugnant WH statement & Senate sanctions as Iranians counter terror backed by US clients.Iranian people reject such US claims of friendship
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) June 8, 2017
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard blamed the attack on Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally and the largest US weapons’ client. Saudi Arabia has denied any involvement and the Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the attacks.
via http://ift.tt/2rZmuaa Tyler Durden