White House says Macron ‘agrees’ Iran crisis is due to regime failure as US turns screw
DONALD Trump and Emmanuel Macron agreed the wave of unrest sweeping across Iran has been triggered by the regime’s failure to respond to its people’s needs, according to the White House.
Washington issued a statement declaring the pair blasted the Iranian government during a telephone call, despite Mr Macron previously showing restraint when commenting on the protests.
The statement said: “The Presidents agreed that the widespread demonstrations in Iran were a sign of the Iranian regime’s failure to serve its people’s needs by instead diverting the nation’s wealth to fund terrorism and militancy abroad.”
The protests, which kicked off at the end of last month and lasted for just over a week, were sparked by discontent at the country’s economy but quickly took a political turn, with protesters calling for the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to step down.
At least 21 people were killed and scores more injured in the demonstrations.
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Mr Trump openly expressed his support for the anti-government protesters, calling the Tehran government a “brutal and corrupt regime”.
The hardline Republican said on Twitter that all the money his predecessor Barack Obama had “foolishly” given Iran had gone into financing terrorism, adding that Iranians had “little food, big inflation and no human rights”.
He also slammed the landmark Iran nuclear deal, which he has repeatedly threatened to decertify: “Iran is failing at every level despite the terrible deal made with them by the Obama Administration.
“The great Iranian people have been repressed for many years.
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“They are hungry for food & for freedom.
“Along with human rights, the wealth of Iran is being looted.
“TIME FOR CHANGE!”
Mr Macron has been careful to tow a diplomatic line, urging his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani to respect people’s “freedom of speech and protest”.
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He did however express his concern over the high number of casualties in the anti-regime demonstrations.
The White House also said Mr Trump had provided Mr Macron with an update on developments on the Korean Peninsula, saying the conversation between the two leaders was intended to “underscore” US, South Korean and international determination to achieve the “complete denuclearisation” of North Korea.
The UN Security Council imposed a fresh round of sanctions on the rogue state last month after North Korean officials confirmed they had successfully conducted yet another ballistic missile test.
The UN resolution, which North Korea referred to as an “act of war,” bans nearly 90 per cent of refined petroleum exports to the country and demands the repatriation of North Koreans working abroad within 24 months.
