Iran’s Supreme Leader launched another verbal assault on the US on Saturday, accusing Washington of being the “mastermind of terror” amid crises across the Middle East.
Addressing ambassadors from Islamic countries, Ayatollah Khamenei declared, “The US is the designer and supporter of terrorism.” That “terrorism” included creation of the Islamic State and support of “the fake terrorist Zionist regime” in Israel.
Khamenei then proclaimed Iran’s backing of resistance movements and “the oppressed”:
The Yemeni, Bahraini & Palestinian nations are oppressed. We support the oppressed as much as we can. pic.twitter.com/QNQTSsrnYr
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) May 16, 2015
The Supreme Leader also positioned Iran as the protector of security in the Persian Gulf, amid recent incidents such as Tehran’s forced detention of a cargo ship and 34 crew — claiming non-payment of debts — and shots across the bow of a Singaporean-flagged tanker:
#PersianGulf’s security is on those who live in it.What does US have to do w it? US seeks its own interests&causes #insecurity if necessary.
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) May 16, 2015
Interestingly, however, the summary of the speech by the Supreme Leader’s office does not mention the crisis in Syria, where Iran’s ally President Assad is facing rebel victories and economic problems. Nor does it refer to Iraq, where the Islamic State captured Ramadi, the capital of the country’s largest province, on Friday.
