Tehran Friday Prayer Leader:‎

US resorts to lies after failure of its economic pressures on Iran

Ayatollah Movahedi-Kermani highlighted the reason behind United States’ recent allegations ‎against Iran and said Washington, which is aware of the failure of its economic pressures, ‎has resorted to lies against the Islamic Republic.‎

News ID: 447137

Date: 20 September 2019 - 22:00

RNA – Ayatollah Mohammad-Ali Movahedi-Kermani said, addressing worshippers attending ‎Friday prayers in Tehran said, “Having realized that its economic pressures on Iran have had ‎no effect, the United States resorted to lying and trying to tarnish the Islamic Republic’s ‎image as much as it can.”‎

He further pointed to recent remarks by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, ‎Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, and said, “The Leader has repeatedly told those who have ‎pinned their hopes on the West that they should abandon their hope for help from outside.”‎

‎“The enemies would lie a thousand times to serve its interests,” the cleric added, calling for ‎vigilance against economic and political plots hatched by the United States against Iran.‎

The remarks came against the backdrop of increased tensions between Iran and the United ‎States after the Islamic Republic shot down an advanced United States spy drone over its ‎territorial waters and also recent attacks by Yemeni forces on Saudi oil facilities, with ‎Washington and Riyadh claiming Iran was behind them.‎

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said on June 20 that a United States spy drone ‎that violated the Iranian territorial airspace in the early hours of the day was shot down by ‎the IRGC Aerospace Force’s air defence unit near the Kuh-e-Mobarak region in the southern ‎province of Hormozgan.‎

The intruding drone was reportedly shot by Iran’s homegrown air defence missile system ‎‎“Khordad-3.”‎

Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated further after Yemeni armed forces ‎conducted a large-scale operation against Saudi Arabia’s Aramco oil installations on Saturday, ‎in response to the Saudi-led war on their country.‎

The Yemeni Ansarullah movement immediately took credit for the attacks, but United States ‎Secretary of State Mike Pompeo swiftly accused Iran of being behind the assault, without ‎providing any evidence. Tehran categorically rejected the allegations.‎

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia claimed on Wednesday that the strikes on its oil infrastructure came ‎from the “north” and were “unquestionably” sponsored by Iran, adding that the Houthis were ‎not responsible for the assault despite claiming it.‎

Shortly after the Saudi announcement, the spokesman for Yemeni Armed Forces, however, ‎reiterated it was behind the weekend attack, stressing that the Houthis have new drones, ‎powered by “normal and jet engines” that can reach targets deep in Saudi Arabia.‎

During a press conference in the capital Sana’a, Brigadier General Yahya Sari said, “Our ‎forces have reached a high level of efficiency and ability. They can manufacture various ‎types of unmanned aerial vehicles in record time. The Second Deterrent Balance Operation, ‎which targeted Saudi oil installations, is a perfect example of the capabilities of our forces in ‎terms of planning and implementation.” ‎

‎112/940‎