In Rare Appearance, Iran Supreme Leader Lauds Missile Attack, Mocks ‘American Clowns’

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei doesn’t get out much, but when he does, he’s bad-mouthing the United States of America.

Khamenei on Friday led Muslim prayers in Tehran for the first time in eight years, dismissing “American clowns” and leaders of other western nations, who he said are only pretending to back the Iranian people but instead want to stick their “poisoned dagger” into Iran’s back.

“These contemptible governments are waiting to bring the Iranian nation to its knees,” Khamenei said, according to the Associated Press “America, who is your elder, your leader and your master, was not able to bring the Iranian nation to its knees. You are too small to bring the Iranian nation to its knees.”

“Khamenei said the mass funerals for Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike earlier this month, show that the Iranian people support the Islamic Republic despite its recent trials. He said the ‘cowardly’ hit on Soleimani had taken out the most effective commander in the battle against the Islamic State group,” the AP said.

After the U.S. military took out Soleimani, Iran launched a series of ballistic missiles at U.S. military bases outside of Baghdad, but they were ineffectual. Still, Khamenei said the strike had dealt a “blow to America’s image” as a superpower. He also said the “real punishment” would be forcing the U.S. to withdraw from the Middle East, which Democratic lawmakers — especially those running for president — are pushing.

During the missile attack, the Iranian military accidentally shot down a Ukrainian jetliner  after it took off from Tehran’s airport, killing all 176 passengers on board, mostly Iranians. Iranian authorities repeatedly denied they’d shot down the plane — until they admitted it. Thousands of Iranians took to the streets to protest the government, but security forces dispersed the crowds with bullets and tear gas.

“Khamenei called the shootdown of the plane a ‘bitter accident’ that he said had saddened Iran as much as it made its enemies happy. He said Iran’s enemies had seized on the crash to question the Islamic Republic, the Revolutionary Guard and the armed forces,” the AP said.

The U.S. has since imposed crippling sanctions on Iran, including its vital oil and gas industry, pushing the country into an economic crisis that has ignited several waves of sporadic, leaderless protests. Trump has openly encouraged the protesters — even tweeting in Farsi — hoping that the protests and the sanctions will bring about fundamental change in a longtime adversary.

Khamenei mocked those efforts, dismissing “these American clowns who falsely and despicably say that they are standing with the Iranian people.” He did not refer to Trump by name, but was clearly referring to him and his administration.

“You are lying,” he said. “If you do stand with the Iranian people it is because you want to stick your poisoned dagger into the back of the Iranian nation. Of course you haven’t been able to do that so far, and you won’t be able to do a damn thing.”

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