The Islamic Republic of Iran is honored to be the target of attack by the United States, which spiritual leader Ali Khamenei said Thursday is "the most hated Satan in the world", according to AP.
"There are some satans in the world, but America indeed is the great Satan," Khamenei announced, speaking to participants who had concluded a conference in support of the Palestinian uprising on Wednesday.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is honored to be the target of wrath and anger of the most hated Satan in the world," Iranian state-run television quoted him saying. "The President of the United States is talking like a person who is thirsty for blood, he threatens the countries and nations of the world."
Khamenei was one of several Iranian officials, including the president and foreign minister, who have condemned Bush's terming of Iran as part of an "axis of evil", together with North Korea and Iraq, during his State of the Union address to Congress earlier this week.
During a cabinet meeting Wednesday, President Mohammad Khatami stated Bush "spoke arrogantly, humiliatingly, aggressively and in an interfering way, and worse than anything, it is an insult to the Iranian nation", according to Iranian media reports. "We are supporters of peace, a peace based on justice for humanity," Khatami conveyed.
Former President Hashemi Rafsanjani also condemned the speech. "The American people, like members of the congress, may applaud Bush and chant hurray for him. But, we will not be intimidated by this pompous rhetoric since we know the truth," that the Bush accusation is "baseless," he said in comments cited by IRNA.
An Iranian parliamentary committee discussing the budget for the fiscal year beginning March 21 passed a bill allocating 12.5 billion rials ($1.56 million) to "counter US plots against Iran," Iranian radio reported Wednesday. The bill still requires complete parliamentary approval
Iran’s State radio reported that Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi had canceled plans to attend the 32nd annual World Economic Forum, which opens Thursday in New York. The cancellation, as reported by the radio, was in protest of Washington's stance toward Tehran and the "humiliating" manner of the US State Department in issuing visas for the Iranian delegation members. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
