Iran’s top leader, lawmakers seethe over Trump decision
Tehran taunts U.S. as paper American flag lit in parliament
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s supreme leader chastised President Donald Trump on Wednesday over his decision to pull the U.S. out of the 2015 nuclear deal, while lawmakers lit a paper U.S. flag on fire inside parliament, shouting, “Death to America!”
The government backlash reflected broad public anger in Iran over Trump’s decision, which threatens to destroy the landmark agreement. While Iranian officials, including the parliament speaker, say they hope Europe will work with them to preserve the deal, many are pessimistic.
In comments before school teachers, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed Trump directly, saying: “You cannot do a damn thing!” Iranians set U.S. flags aflame Wednesday during a demonstration in Tehran, the capital.
Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, described Trump’s speech Tuesday announcing his decision as having “over 10 lies,” without elaborating onthem. He also said Trump’s remarks threatened both Iran’s people and its theocratic government.
“The body of this man, Trump, will turn to ashes and become the food of the worms and ants, while the Islamic Republic continues to stand,” Khamenei said.
Earlier Wednesday, the lawmakers, including a Shi- ite cleric, held the flaming flag alight as their colleagues joined their chants. They also burned a piece of paper representing the nuclear deal and stomped on the ashes.
Later, dozens of hardliners set fire to a U.S. flag during a protest in front of the former U.S. embassy and called for a retaliatory response.
The 2015 agreement imposed restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in return for the lifting of most U.S. and international sanctions. However, the deal came with time limits and did not address Iran’s ballistic missile program or its support for militant groups across the region branded as terrorists by the West. Trump has repeatedly pointed to those omissions in referring to the accord as the “worst deal ever.”
Late Tuesday night, President Hassan Rouhani said he’d be sending Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to the countries still in the deal — China, France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom. Iran hopes the European Union will pass laws to protect European firms from any potential U.S. sanctions. EU officials have suggested they’ll do what they can to salvage the agreement.
Still, Rouhani made a point of stressing that Iran, at any time, could resume its nuclear program.
“If necessary, we can begin our industrial enrichment without any limitations,” the Iranian leader said. “Until implementation of this decision, we will wait for some weeks and will talk with our friends and allies and other signatories of the nuclear deal, who signed it and who will remain loyal to it. Everything depends on our national interests.”
After the flag burning, parliament speaker Ali Larijani said responsibility for saving the deal fell on the EU and other world powers still in the accord. Larijani urged preparation for “resumption of all aspects of nuclear activities.”