Iran uses Friday prayers to bash Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’

FEBRUARY 1, 2020 09:36

Iranian prayer leaders were encouraged to use Friday prayers to communicate the regime’s anger with US President Donald Trump’s “Deal of the Century” which was proposed this week. Ayatollah Mohammad Movahedi-Kermani, the Friday prayer leader in Tehran, slammed the deal as the “betrayal and scandal of the century.”

Movahedi-Kermani’s speech on January 31 enumerated all the ways that Iran dislikes Trump and the Deal. He said it was a unilateral decision by Israel, the US and several Arab countries. “The plan has been protested by freedom-loving peoples in the region and the world.” He asserted that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had condemned the plan.

The Iranian regime has been trying to use the deal to leverage support across the region against the US and Israel. Tehran is under tough sanctions and has faced protests at home. It wants to channel the distraction of the deal to push a new narrative, including Iran’s claim that it supports the Palestinians. The ayatollah said that the Palestinians, “reject this treacherous plan and will fight for the end of the occupation in a serious and permanent way.”

“The shameful deal is the result of the betrayal by some Arab governments,” Iran said on Friday. He said that various allies of Iran, which he termed “resistance groups” would oppose the deal. This likely means Hezbollah and Shi’ite militias in Iraq. “The enemies are seeking to disarm and push the resistance.” But he said that Palestine will be liberated.