[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-gi] Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei drew attention on the 1st (local time) by unusually replying via Twitter to a tweet from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ayatollah Khamenei retweeted President Trump's tweet claiming that Iran should take full responsibility for the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, adding, "This person wrote on Twitter that Iran is responsible for the Baghdad incident, but first, you are powerless."
He continued, "Second, although unlikely, if you are logical, look at the crimes you committed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Because of those crimes, many countries have come to hate the United States."
President Trump wrote on Twitter the previous day after the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was attacked, "Iran must bear responsibility for any loss of life or damage to our facilities. They will pay a very big price. This is not a warning, it is a threat."
Ayatollah Khamenei attended an event that day and criticized the U.S. military's bombing of Iraqi Shiite militias, saying it was in support of the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS).
He stated, "Hashid al-Shaabi (Shiite militias) repelled Daesh (the Arabic acronym for IS), so the U.S. retaliated against them," adding, "Daesh is an organization they created and nurtured."
He further said, "The Iranian government and I strongly condemn the malicious behavior of the United States," and pointed out, "When the Iraqi people rose up (attacked the U.S. Embassy) against the cruelty of the United States, that person (U.S. President Donald Trump) insisted again that Iran was responsible."
Regarding the fact that the Iraqi Shiite militias closely allied with Iran led the embassy attack, he said, "When we fight enemies who threaten us, we do not hesitate to strike directly," refuting U.S. claims that it instigated the Shiite militias behind the scenes.
The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed on the 31st of last month in a statement regarding the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that Iran was not involved.
On the same day, Iran summoned the charg? d'affaires of the Swiss Embassy in Tehran, which acts as the U.S. interests section, to protest, saying, "The behavior of U.S. officials who made warmongering remarks regarding the situation in Iraq violates the UN Charter."
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