Iran slams US Secretary of State for backing protestors demonstrating against fuel price hike

Iranian Foreign Ministry on Sunday slammed US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo for backing protestors.

IRNA reported that "Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi on Sunday lambasted US Foreign Secretary Mike Pompeo's backing for a group of rioters in certain Iranian cities, saying that actions by a number of saboteurs have nothing to do with the nature of the Iranian intelligent and foresighted people."

A day earlier, Pompeo had in a tweet said that the US will be standing with people of Iran.

IRNA in its report said, Mousavi criticised "such interfering actions" and stated that "Iran's noble nation knows well that such hypocrite statements are completely void of sincere sympathy."

Meanwhile, Al Arabiya reported that White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham on Sunday condemned the "lethal force" used on protestors who are demonstrating against the fuel price hike.

"The United States supports the Iranian people in their peaceful protests against the regime that is supposed to lead them. We condemn the lethal force and severe communications restrictions used against demonstrators," she was quoted as saying in an official statement.

"Tehran has fanatically pursued nuclear weapons and missile programs, and supported terrorism, turning a proud nation into another cautionary tale of what happens when a ruling class abandons its people and embarks on a crusade for personal power and riches," she added.

Protests erupted across Iran on Friday after the government imposed petrol rationing and raised its fuel prices.