After Guard blacklisted, Iran president says US is ‘leader of world terrorism’
TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday that the United States was the real “leader of world terrorism” after Washington blacklisted Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a “foreign terrorist organization.”
“Who are you to label revolutionary institutions as terrorists?” Rouhani asked in a speech broadcast live by state television.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark Iran’s national nuclear technology day in Tehran, Rouhani defended the Revolutionary Guards as a force that has fought terrorism ever since its creation in 1979.
In contrast, the Islamic Republic’s president accused US forces of having always been directly or indirectly involved with terrorist groups or acts of terrorism.
“You want to use terrorist groups as tools against the nations of the region… you are the leader of world terrorism.
“Who is propagating and encouraging terrorism in today’s world? Who wanted to use ISIS (the Islamic State group) as a tool?” Rouhani asked, saying that the US is harboring the leaders of the jihadist organization.
“Even now America is hiding the heads of ISIS, even now they are not prepared to tell the regional governments where the heads of ISIS are hiding.”
Iran swiftly retaliated against the US move on Monday by calling US troops “terrorists.”
Read More: Times of Israel