10:30, 03-Jan-2018
Iran Protests: US president takes to Twitter to criticize Iranian government
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In a series of tweets, the US President stepped up his war of words with Tehran and issued a warning. Our correspondent Sean Callebs has the details.
SEAN CALLEBS WASHINGTON The ongoing protests in Iran have been a twitter topic for US President Donald Trump. Trump sounded off on the violent demonstrations - this time saying:
The people of Iran are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. All of the money that President Obama so foolishly gave them went into terrorism and into their "pockets". The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The US is watching!
So far US lawmakers have been relatively quiet on Trump's response to the civilian demonstrations. One Democratic US Representative -John Garamendi from California did weigh in, saying over the weekend that the US President's earlier tweets had been "ok". But Garamendi also said the US must walk a fine line, so it does not look like the United States is the source of the demonstrations.
The Iranian leadership was caught off guard by the size of the protests that have claimed as many as 20 lives. Teheran initially criticized Trump's remarks as "deceitful and opportunist". And, earlier Tuesday, without naming the United States, Iran's leaders claimed that its enemies were the ones spurring on the violent clashes.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says its foes are using money, arms, and an undercurrent of intelligence gathering to foster troubles in the Islamic Republic. SC, CGTN, in Washington.