Iran’s Supreme Leader ‘Thanks’ Trump For Revealing The ‘Real Face Of The United States’

TEHRAN: - As Iran tries to calibrate how to deal with President Trump, its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in caustic comments to air force commanders, thanked the new American leader for revealing “the real face” of the United States. “We are grateful to this gentleman who has come!” Ayatollah Khamenei said, according to a report posted on his official website.

Iranian officials have shown caution since Mr. Trump took office last month; despite expressing anger at his policies and comments, even hard-liners have taken care not to provoke the new American president.

Mr. Trump included Iran on a list of seven predominantly Muslim countries whose citizens have been barred from entering the United States, and his national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, warned Tehran last week that it had been put “on notice” after a missile test.

Washington also imposed new economic sanctions on 25 people and entities after the missile launch, which Mr. Flynn said violated a 2015 United Nations Security Council resolution that was approved shortly after the United States and other world powers reached an agreement with Iran on its nuclear program.

“The things we have been saying over the past 30-some years political, economic, moral and social corruption in the American administration this man came and exposed them during his election campaign and afterwards,” Ayatollah Khamenei said, according to the text of the speech.

He added that a report that a 5-year-old boy had been handcuffed at Dulles International Airport, outside Washington, during enforcement of the travel order “shows the real meaning of American human rights.”

Although the boy was detained the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, said that “to assume that just because of someone’s age or gender, or whatever, that they don’t pose a threat would be misguided and wrong” he was apparently not handcuffed.

In a Twitter post on Friday, Mr. Trump said: “Iran is playing with fire they don’t appreciate how ‘kind’ President Obama was to them. Not me!” He took another swipe on Tuesday, accusing Iran of supporting terrorism.

In his speech Tuesday, Khamenei resorted to sarcasm in responding to Trump's Friday tweet, too. “The new U.S. president says Iran should thank Obama!” he said. “Why?! Should we thank him for [creating] ISIS, the ongoing wars in Iraq and Syria, or the blatant support for the 2009 sedition in Iran?” He referred to domestic protests against a presidential election that the opposition said was marred by fraud.

The 38th anniversary of the revolution that turned Iran into an Islamic republic is Friday. Khamenei hinted that Iranians should use the opportunity to join him in denouncing the United States, saying, “The Iranian nation will respond to your comments with a demonstration on the 10th of February: They will show others what kind of stance the nation of Iran takes when threatened.”