Prominent Politician Pooh-Poohs ‘Pathetic’ Pompeo’s Painting of Persians as Protectors of Problematic People
Iran on Tuesday hit back at United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, labeling his allegations that the terrorist group al-Qaida had found “a new home base” in Iran “fictitious … warmongering lies.” Following Pompeo’s speech in which the secretary accused Tehran of harboring the Sunni organization’s leaders and allowing “[Osama] Bin Laden’s wicked creation … to gain strength and capabilities,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that Pompeo “is pathetically ending his disastrous career with more warmongering lies. No one is fooled. All 9/11 terrorists came from [Pompeo’s] favorite Middle Eastern destinations; NONE from Iran.” During his speech, Pompeo officially confirmed the reports that a top al-Qaida commander was killed last summer on Iranian soil, an assassination recently attributed by Western intelligence officials to Israeli agents. Iran has continued to deny these claims. The secretary’s remarks and their timing are thought to be yet another brick in the wall the outgoing administration is erecting in its attempts to stymie President-elect Joe Biden’s promise to renegotiate and eventually re-enter the 2015 nuclear deal.
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