Mike Pompeo Slams Iran's Supreme Leader For Anti-Semitic Remarks Amid Tensions In Gulf

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slammed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for the latter’s anti-Semitic remarks on social media. Khamenei went on a rant on Twitter recently, targeting Israel and the Jewish community, and his comments led to a sharp response from Pompeo.

The social media exchange comes at a time when there is ongoing tension in the Gulf after several Iranian boats were seen performing “unsafe” maneuvers close to American warships.

In his Twitter post, Khamenei called Israel a “cancerous tumor” and he falsely claimed that the country has been involved in massacring children, women and men. He went on to say that the country came into existence because of Britain’s “anti-Islamic” and “anti-human” policies.

In another message on social media, Khamenei appears to have encouraged terrorist attacks on Israel by saying that the West Bank should be armed just like Gaza. He also called the only Jewish country in the world an “evil, wolf-like entity.”

Pompeo jumped quickly to the defense of America's ally from the blatantly anti-Semitic attack. He condemned Khamenei’s “disgusting and hateful” remarks on Twitter. The Secretary also added that such words have no place in a social media platform like Twitter.

While condemning Khamenei’s “vile rhetoric,” Pompeo made a distinction between the leadership in Iran and its people. He said that he knows the words of the Supreme Leader do not represent the “tradition of tolerance” of the people in the Middle-Eastern country.

America has ratcheting up pressure on Iran’s regime through sanctions. Pompeo said on Twitter that sanctions have been placed on multiple people from Iran, including Minister of Interior Rahmani Fazli, for their human rights abuses. According to Pompeo, Fazli ordered the killing of peaceful protestors in his country, including a 12-year-old boy who was walking back home from school.

Sanctions have also been imposed on Iran’s former head of intelligence service Ali Fallahian. According to Pompeo, between 1989 and 1997, Fallahian ordered assassinations and attacks, including the killing of U.S. exchange student Alisa Flatow and he was also behind the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.