Capturing ‘minds’

Iran: US in our head

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei charged Saturday that recent unrest in Iran was due to foreign “enemies” trying to destroy the Islamic Republic.

The US and its allies are waging a “psychological war” against Iran, he said, by calling the country out on piracy for seizing two Greek ships — after the US confiscated Iranian oil from a tanker.

“Today, the enemies’ most important hope for striking a blow at the country is based on popular protests,” Khamenei said, alluding to a weeklong protest over the collapse of a building in southwestern Iran last month that killed 37 people.

“They hope to turn the people against the Islamic establishment and the Islamic Republic through psychological work, activities on the Internet and cyberspace . . . and by spending money and recruiting mercenaries.”

“But the enemies’ calculation is as wrong as many earlier ones,” he said in a TV speech on the 33rd anniversary of the death of the leader of Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Officials say the collapse of the 10-story building was due to corruption and poor safety regulations. Thirteen people have so far been arrested on construction violations.

Protesters counter that the disaster was the result of government negligence.

As for the United States’ accusation of piracy against Tehran after its May 27 seizure of two Greek ships amid US sanctions on Iran, Khamenei responded: “Who is the pirate here? You stole our oil. We took it back from you. Taking back a stolen good is no theft.”

With Wires