In a Friday sermon in Tehran on February 7, 2014, Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movahedi-Kermani accused U.S. leaders of insolence and lies. We should give a "tooth-breaking response to these lies, nonsense, and shameless allegations," said the ayatollah, and the crowds responded with chants of "Death to America."
Following are excerpts from the sermon, which was broadcast on Iran's Channel 1:
Ali Movahedi-Kermani: "Mr. Kerry and Ms. Sherman were very impolite. They said ugly things, and this ugliness befits them."
Crowd: "Death to America!
"Death to America!
Ali Movahedi-Kermani: "Ms. Sherman says: "='Iran paid its poor with our money."=' Allah Akbar. What insolence. America's money?! It is Iran's money. You have seized that money. This is plunder. You have become thieves. Now, they're giving us some of our own money back through the negotiations. Has this become your money?! Have we been feeding our poor with your money?!
[...]
"They say clearly that Iran plays a destabilizing role in Syria, in Lebanon, in Iraq, in Bahrain, in Gaza, in Afghanistan. A destabilizing role?! Think a little. Be reasonable. It is your own crimes that we are witnessing in those countries. You have gathered some of Syria's enemies, and they want to determine Syria's future. There can be no greater crime, no greater mistake.
[...]
"The strangest thing is when John Kerry says: "='We have not closed our eyes to Iran's harsh history and its conduct in the past 30 years."=' Fine. Don't close your eyes. Open them and see your crimes over the past 35 years.
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Crowd: "Death to America!
"Death to America!"
[...]
Ali Movahedi-Kermani: "They say that they will use the sanctions to continue to exert pressure on Iran's economy in the next 6 months, and that they will not allow the Iranian economy to flourish. In light of all these irrelevant and baseless allegations, Iran should shout to the skies: 'Death to America,' should it not?"
Crowd: "Death to America! Death to America!"
Ali Movahedi-Kermani: "Our people expect the Iranian foreign ministry to give a tooth-breaking response to these lies, nonsense, and shameless allegations."
Crowd: "Allah Akbar.
"Allah Akbar.
"Khamenei is the leader.
"Death to those who oppose the Rule of the Jurisprudent!
"Death to America!
"Death to England!
"Death to the hypocrites!
"Death to Israel!"
[...]
Ali Movahedi-Kermani: "Unfortunately, America does not give up. The president himself, the secretary of state, and Ms. Sherman are constantly threatening us that the military option is on the table.
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"Iran laughs at these threats. Iran laughs at this.
[...]
"We know that the military threats that all options are on the table serve America's domestic interests. They are joking. They don't have the guts to do it, and they know it."
[...]
