Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei ridiculed Donald Trump following the U.S. president issuing a starch warning that Iran will be held “fully responsible for lives lost” after the storming of the American embassy in Iraq, Newsweek reported.
Washington has accused Iran of orchestrating the attack on its embassy compound in Baghdad. The attackers were demonstrating against unilateral U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria that killed more than two dozen fighters belonging to the Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah.
The Americans blamed Kataib Hezbollah for a rocket attack that killed a Pentagon contractor and injured several U.S. service members and Iraqi personnel at an Iraqi military base in Kirkuk. On Tuesday, violent protests rocked the U.S. Embassy in Iraq over the airstrikes.
On New Year’s Eve, Trump tweeted: “The U.S. Embassy in Iraq is, & has been for hours, SAFE! Many of our great Warfighters, together with the most lethal military equipment in the world, was immediately rushed to the site. Thank you to the President & Prime Minister of Iraq for their rapid response upon request. Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat. Happy New Year!”
In a statement reported by Iranian state media, Khamenei accused the Trump administration of “taking revenge” on Kataib Hezbollah “for defeating ISIS,” an extremist militant group he falsely accused the U.S. of creating.
“The Iranian government, the Iranian nation, and I strongly condemn the US’s malice,” Khamenei said. “That guy has tweeted that we see Iran responsible for the events in Baghdad and we will respond to Iran. Firstly, You can’t do anything and secondly, If you were logical—which you’re not—you’d see that your crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan… have made nations hate you.”
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