Copy in clipboard...
Tehran denounces Pelosi’s call for US to exact ‘pain’ on ordinary Iranians
In remarks posted on X on Saturday, Baqaei wrote, “Nancy Pelosi calls on the US administration to ‘cripple’ Iran’s economy so ordinary Iranians—even in rural areas—‘feel the pain.’”
“Deliberately inflicting pain & suffering on civilians for political leverage is the textbook definition of terrorism,” he added, noting, “Only an evil & arrogant mindset can feel entitled to prescribe policies built on civilians' suffering in another country.”
“Legally speaking, this is further evidence of a deliberate & systematic US policy of exacting pain and cruelty on populations it disfavors. Such conduct amounts to ‘crime against humanity.’”
Pelosi had made the remarks while speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
She identified further hardened American economic coercion towards Iran as a means of bringing about “regime fall” in the Islamic Republic.
Iranian officials have long denounced US sanctions as collective punishment targeting civilians.
Last month, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged the impact of sanctions during remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
In November 2018, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo also spoke about sanctions after Washington withdrew from a 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran and other countries and reinstated sanctions.
Iranian officials must listen to the US “if they want their people to eat,” he said at the time.