Iranian leaders and citizens have been chanting “Death to America” for more than 40 years, but apparently that phrase only refers to the politicians in charge, the country’s supreme leader Sayed Ali Khamenei said.
While speaking to Iranian Air force operators on the 40th anniversary of the country’s Islamic Revolution, Khamenei said his country wouldn’t stop chanting the phrase so “long as America continues its wickedness.” Khamenei’s English-language Twitter account also repeated his remarks.
“’Down with USA’ means down with @realDonaldTrump, @AmbJohnBolton and @SecPompeo. It means death to the American politicians currently in power. It means death to the few people running that country; we have nothing against the American nation,” he claimed.
"Down with USA" means down with @realDonaldTrump , @AmbJohnBolton and @SecPompeo . It means death to the American politicians currently in power. It means death to the few people running that country; we have nothing against the American nation. pic.twitter.com/cq1TBZY9FR
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) February 8, 2019
Iranians have been chanting this phrase for some 40 years, under seven American presidents — Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and now Donald Trump — but are only now claiming its always referred to the president and his top foreign policy leaders.- READ MORE