President Trump kicked off the new year discussing the protests in Iran and expressing his discontentment with Pakistan.
“The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help,” he said in his first tweet of 2018. “No more!”
The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018
The comment comes after a report last week that the United States was considering withholding hundreds of millions in aid to Pakistan over the way it has handled terror groups within its borders and refused to cooperate with counterterrorism efforts.
As for Iran, Trump said it’s time for a change.
“Iran is failing at every level despite the terrible deal made with them by the Obama Administration. The great Iranian people have been repressed for many years. They are hungry for food & for freedom. Along with human rights, the wealth of Iran is being looted. TIME FOR CHANGE!” he wrote.
Iran is failing at every level despite the terrible deal made with them by the Obama Administration. The great Iranian people have been repressed for many years. They are hungry for food & for freedom. Along with human rights, the wealth of Iran is being looted. TIME FOR CHANGE!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018
The tweet comes after protests in the country have left at least 12 people dead over the past four days.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani tried to downplay the significance of the uprisings, saying, "Our great nation has witnessed a number of similar incidents in the past and has comfortably dealt with them. This is nothing.”
This isn’t the first time the president has commented on the events in Iran in recent days.
“The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism,” Trump said early Sunday. “Looks like they will not take it any longer. The USA is watching very closely for human rights violations!”
Big protests in Iran. The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. Looks like they will not take it any longer. The USA is watching very closely for human rights violations!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017
He followed up later, writing: “Iran, the Number One State of Sponsored Terror with numerous violations of Human Rights occurring on an hourly basis, has now closed down the Internet so that peaceful demonstrators cannot communicate. Not good!”
Iran, the Number One State of Sponsored Terror with numerous violations of Human Rights occurring on an hourly basis, has now closed down the Internet so that peaceful demonstrators cannot communicate. Not good!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017
Iran responded by attacking the president, calling his support of the peaceful protests as “deceitful.”
The “Iranian people give no credit to the deceitful and opportunist remarks of U.S. officials or Mr. Trump,” said Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi, according to state television.