Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, apparently triggered by the pending reimposition of American sanctions on Iran next month and ongoing protests over the nation’s depleted economy, went on a tirade against the United States on Wednesday where he saidthe regime would “bring America to its knees” and suggested that half of America’s population is “ashamed of their government.”
Speaking in an address on state television in Iran, Rouhani said Iranians must stand together to withstand pressure from the United States and “bring America to its knees,” according to Reuters. He reportedly added, “We will take problems. We will take pressure. But we will not sacrifice our independence.”
Thousands of Iranians took the streets of Tehran’s Grand Bazaar for ongoing protests, which began Sunday, in response to the rial hitting a record low of 90,000 to one U.S. dollar. Protesters chanted, “We don’t want the dollar to be at 100,000 rials” and “Strike!” during the uprising, forcing bazaar merchants to close their shops for several days.
Iran’s state-run and semi-official ISNA news agency reported that Parliamentary (Majles) speaker Ali Larijani blamed the Rouhani administration for falling short of confronting Iran’s deepening economic woes.
