Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei thanked President Donald Trump on Tuesday for revealing "the real face of the United States."
"What we have been saying, for over 30 years, about political, economic, moral, and social corruption within the U.S. ruling establishment, [Trump] came out and exposed during the election campaigns and after the elections," said Khamenei. "Now, with everything he is doing — handcuffing a child as young as 5 at an airport — he is showing the reality of American human rights."
Iran is one of seven nations affected by President Trump's executive order imposing strong travel restrictions on predominately Muslim countries.
Khamenei also dismissed a tweet by President Trump that criticized Iran for not appreciating how "kind" former President Barack Obama was:
Iran is playing with fire - they don't appreciate how "kind" President Obama was to them. Not me!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 3, 2017
"The new U.S. president says Iran should thank Obama! Why? Should we thank him for [creating] ISIS, the ongoing wars in Iraq and Syria, or the blatant support for the 2009 sedition in Iran?" said Khamenei. "He was the president who imposed paralyzing sanctions on the Iranian nation; of course, he did not achieve what he desired. No enemy can ever paralyze the Iranian nation."
Al Jazeera's Tehran-based Dorsa Jabbari commented on Khamenei's remarks: "This is the first time the supreme leader, the highest authority in the republic, has responded to Donald Trump's comments and threats towards Iran [with] very strong words," Jabbari said.
Khamenei additionally announced a demonstration against Trump on Feb. 10: "Trump says fear me! No. The Iranian nation will respond to your comments with a demonstration ... They will show others what kind of stance the nation of Iran takes when threatened," said Khamenei.