Tehran, Iran — Iran’s political and military elite delivered a unified rebuke on Saturday to U.S. President Donald Trump following a series of inflammatory remarks he made during his ongoing tour of the Middle East.
Speaking at a state ceremony for teachers in Tehran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed Trump’s comments as beneath contempt. “The remarks were so lowly that responding to them would only degrade us. They are a disgrace to the speaker and an embarrassment to the American people,” Khamenei said, drawing chants of “Death to America” from the audience.
He accused the U.S. of hypocrisy, claiming Washington promotes peace while supporting bloodshed across the region, including the killing of Palestinians. He referred to Israel as a “cancerous tumor” that must be “eradicated.”
President Masoud Pezeshkian also weighed in during a speech to naval officers in Tehran, criticizing Trump’s contradictory posture. “He talks of peace, yet arms regimes committing genocide in Gaza,” Pezeshkian said. “Should we believe his promise of peace or his support for mass killings?” He further condemned Trump’s prior sanctioning of the International Criminal Court, calling it an assault on international justice.
These statements follow Trump’s high-profile meetings and arms deals with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates — three of Iran’s geopolitical rivals. While praising their development, Trump harshly criticized Iran’s economic state, saying the country’s “once-green farmland is now barren” due to corruption and mismanagement. He also cited daily power outages and crumbling infrastructure as evidence of Iran’s “ineffective leadership.”
The power crisis has deepened Iran’s economic woes. On Saturday, leaders from the mining, steel, and cement industries appealed to President Pezeshkian to reconsider a 90% electricity usage restriction on critical sectors.
Trump also took aim at Iran’s regional influence, blaming it for instability in Syria by backing Bashar al-Assad’s regime, and accusing Tehran of spreading “misery and death.” He simultaneously praised Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and announced the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Damascus.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi fired back, calling Trump’s words “deceptive.” He said the U.S., not Iran, has destabilized the region through sanctions and military aggression. “They speak of peace, yet arm Israel and bomb Syria,” Araghchi said on state media.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaking at an Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Indonesia, dismissed Trump’s remarks as “delusional.” IRGC commander Hossein Salami directly addressed Trump, saying Iran’s true pride lies not in physical structures but in “its moral, cultural, and Islamic identity.”
Adding to the tension, Trump hinted he may start referring to the “Persian Gulf” as the “Arabian Gulf” — a deeply sensitive issue in Iran. The suggestion triggered outrage from across Iranian society, including pro-Trump Iranians abroad who still support regime change.
In downtown Tehran, anti-American sentiment was on display with a large banner in Palestine Square depicting Israeli cities as missile targets, reading in Farsi, “All targets are within range — Yemeni missiles for now!”
Nuclear Deal Stalemate
Despite the fiery rhetoric, both Tehran and Washington have expressed interest in de-escalating tensions over Iran’s nuclear program. However, talks mediated by Oman remain stalled after four rounds.
Trump claimed a new proposal has been sent to Iran that could fast-track a deal. Iranian officials denied this, saying no written offer has been received and accusing Washington of sending “mixed messages.”
“There’s no scenario in which Iran will relinquish its right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes,” Araghchi posted on X, invoking the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Senior negotiator Kazem Gharibabadi reinforced that sentiment, rejecting speculation Iran might suspend uranium enrichment to ease tensions during Trump’s term. “Enrichment is a red line. Any suspension is off the table,” he said.
The 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump abandoned in 2018, had capped Iran’s enrichment at 3.67% for civilian use. Iran is now enriching uranium to 60%, enough for multiple nuclear bombs, though it insists it has no intention of building one.
Conclusion
Amid rising tensions, Iran and the U.S. remain locked in a cycle of provocation and defiance, with no immediate path toward reconciliation. Trump’s tour has deepened hostilities, leaving diplomacy hanging in the balance.
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