ABNA: The Swiss envoy was summoned after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the country supported the demonstrations that erupted in several cities across Iran on Friday after the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOPDC) announced the start of a plan to increase gas prices.
On Saturday, Pompeo tweeted that "as I said to the people of Iran almost a year and a half ago: The United States is with you". He also retweeted his July 2018 statement of support for Iranians protesting against their government.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi had also earlier lashed out at Pompeo, adding that what the White House was backing was not common people but rioters and anarchists who were turning peaceful demonstrations into violent scenes.
Late on Sunday, Mousavi denounced Pompeo’s support for rioters who rode the tide of fuel price hike-related protests in the country during the past few days, saying that the US was not sympathetic toward the Iranian people, but supports spread of chaos.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif lashed out at American officials who are “hypocritically” talking about support for the people of Iran, reminding them that this is the US which is using economic terrorism against his country’s ordinary people who have been denied medicine and food because of Washington’s bans against Tehran.
Speaking on Monday evening, Zarif condemned the officials of the United States for their hypocritical show of support for the Iranian people during recent protests gas price rise in Iran.
Iran’s diplomatic chief reacted to the “interventionist and dishonest” remarks by US officials, including US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in support of rioters in Iran, noting that the Iranian constitution acknowledges people's right to protest.
Zarif added that the Iranian people do not need the show of support from the officials of the regime which has put them under economic pressures in a bid to make them give in to their illegitimate demands. He added that the US regime has even sanctioned food and medicine for the Iranian nation.
"A regime that bans food and medicine for the ordinary (Iranian) people, including the elderly and the sick Iranians, by economic terrorism can never show its disgraceful support for the Iranian people. Mr. Pompeo must first be held to account for declared acts of terrorism and crimes against humanity vis-a-vis the Iranian people."
The foreign minister further condemned the European countries such as France and Germany that made meddlesome remarks on riots in Iran earlier on Monday, saying, "Countries that have failed to show any of their will and power against the US economic terrorism (against Iran) and are now providing political and field support to riots and actions against public order in Iran in a bid to hide their inability vis-a-vis (the United States) will be responsible for all the consequences of their dangerous provocations."
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