Lawmakers in the Iranian parliament chanted “Death to America” during a session on Sunday, allegedly in a show of support for protesters in the US over the killing of George Floyd, The Associated Press reported, citing Iranian media.
The report said the chants followed a request by lawmaker Ahmad Naderi for a moment of silence over deaths of protesters.
Iran makes a point of daily criticizing Washington in the wake of the ongoing turmoil in America and protests over police killings of African Americans. State television in Iran has repeatedly aired images of the US unrest.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, often touted as a “moderate” president, has personally presided over “Death to America” chants during rallies in Iran, even though he claimed that Iranians “respect the American people”.
Similarly, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, with whom the Obama administration negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal, was caught on camera joining in a public chant against the US, UK, and Israel.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, explained that the slogan “Death to America” is directed at President Donald Trump and US leaders, not the American nation.
