Raisi slams Biden for protest solidarity

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday criticized his US counterpart, Joe Biden, for expressing solidarity with the protesters in Iran, saying Biden’s comments have incited “chaos” and “terror” in the country.

US President Biden on Friday said that Washington stands with the citizens and “brave women” of Iran who have held mass demonstrations across the country for nearly a month in protest of the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini while in the custody of Iran’s morality police.

“The comments of the American president, who allows himself through his comments to incite chaos, terror and destruction in another country, should be reminiscent of the eternal words of the founder of the Islamic Republic [Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini], who called America the great Satan,” Iranian state media (IRNA) cited Raisi as saying on Sunday.

The Iranian president accused the US of finding “joy and happiness” about the problems and shortcomings of Iran, and feeling “angry about every good, innovative and creative move of the Iranian nation.”

Iranian authorities have cracked down violently on protesters over the past month. On Thursday, the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights said that at least 201 people have been killed across Iran since protests began on September 16.

The use of violence by Iranian security forces to disperse the demonstrators has been widely condemned by the international community.

By Zheen Saman