On the eve of the 40th anniversary of Iran’s revolution, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned Iran’s foreign and domestic policies. “Even your president, Hassan Rouhani, admits to the regime’s 40 years of failure. It didn’t need to be this way, but your ruling regime has always prioritized ideology over the interests and well-being of the Iranian people,” he tweeted. In his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump called the Islamic Republic a “corrupt dictatorship” and “the world’s leading sponsor of terror.” The following are excerpted remarks by U.S. officials and agencies.
President Donald Trump
“My Administration has acted decisively to confront the world's leading state sponsor of terror: the radical regime in Iran.
“To ensure this corrupt dictatorship never acquires nuclear weapons, I withdrew the United States from the disastrous Iran nuclear deal. And last fall, we put in place the toughest sanctions ever imposed on a country.
“We will not avert our eyes from a regime that chants death to America and threatens genocide against the Jewish people. We must never ignore the vile poison of anti-Semitism, or those who spread its venomous creed. With one voice, we must confront this hatred anywhere and everywhere it occurs.”
—Feb. 5, 2019, in his State of the Union address
40 years of corruption. 40 years of repression. 40 years of terror. The regime in Iran has produced only #40YearsofFailure. The long-suffering Iranian people deserve a much brighter future. pic.twitter.com/bA8YGsw9LA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 11, 2019
National Security Advisor John Bolton
A message to the Ayatollah of Iran: "For all your boasts, for all your threats to the life of the American President, YOU are responsible for terrorizing your own people." #40YearsofFailure pic.twitter.com/gpCL1FeLis
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 11, 2019
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
In 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini sold the Iranian people a prosperous future. 40 years later, Iran’s corrupt regime has delivered nothing but broken promises. #40YearsofFailure #چهل_سال_شکست pic.twitter.com/nfU8EEoZR6
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) February 4, 2019
حتی رییس جمهورتان @HassanRouhani به ۴۰ سال شکست رژیم ایران اعتراف می کند. نیازی نبود اینطور باشد، اما رژیم حاکم شما همواره ایدئولوژی را بر منافع و رفاه مردم ایران ترجیح داده است. #چهل_سال_شکست pic.twitter.com/il6kFrWiBV
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) February 1, 2019
“February 11th will mark 40 years since the oppressive regime came to power in Tehran. America’s economic sanctions against the regime are the strongest in history, and will keep getting tougher until Iran starts behaving like a normal country. The 12 demands that we stated in May remain in force, because the regime’s threat to the region endures.”
—Jan. 10, 2019, in a speech at the American University in Cairo
Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook
State Department
In 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini promised material and spiritual prosperity to the Iranian people. 40 years later, #Iran’s corrupt regime has destroyed the country’s economy, desecrated Iran’s noble heritage, and produced only #40YearsofFailure #چهل_سال_شکست pic.twitter.com/shGaWa8DYp
— Department of State (@StateDept) February 1, 2019
40 years ago, Ayatollah Khomeini promised freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Today, #Iran has one of the most repressive media environments. The ruling regime has produced only #40YearsofFailure #چهل_سال_شکست pic.twitter.com/iXjUZ1AT1A
— Department of State (@StateDept) February 1, 2019
When he returned to #Iran in 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini made lots of promises to the Iranian people, including justice, freedom, and prosperity. 40 years later, Iran's ruling regime has broken all those promises, and has produced only #40YearsofFailure #چهل_سال_شکست pic.twitter.com/zmCnfrZNDC
— Department of State (@StateDept) February 1, 2019