Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday said that the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police shows the “true nature” of the U.S.
Protests have erupted across the country and around the world in the aftermath of the May 25 death of Mr. Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after a white officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest in Minneapolis.
“The crime committed against this black man is the same thing the U.S. government has been doing against all the world,” the supreme leader said during a televised address.
“This is the U.S. government’s true nature and character that is being exposed today.”
His comments come amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran that have steadily tightened since President Trump withdrew from a nuclear accord with Tehran in 2018. The two countries have since engaged in a series of disputes including the U.S. killing of a top Iranian general and Iranian-led attacks on a U.S. military base in Iraq.
“In dealing with its people, the U.S. government has behaved in the worst manner,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
“The people of the United States have every right to feel embarrassed and ashamed by their governments, particularly the current one.”
Iran has been criticized by democracies and humanitarian organizations around the world for its history of human rights abuses, including violent clashes between police and protesters, and the detention and killing of political dissenters, journalists, and activists.
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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