Biden promised to ‘liberate Iran’ in a West Coast campaign speech
OCEAN, Calif., Nov 3 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden vowed on Thursday to “liberate” Iran, and said that the country’s anti-government protesters would soon succeed in freeing themselves.
Dozens of protesters held banners supporting the Iranian opposition and chanted, “Don’t worry, we will liberate Iran.” Soon they will free themselves,” he said in a broad campaign speech in California.
Biden did not elaborate on the speech or specify what further steps he would take during his remarks at MiraCosta College near San Diego.
The White House National Security Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Seven weeks of protests in Iran were sparked by the arrest of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini by Iran’s morality police.
The protests sparked by Amini’s death on September 16 saw many young Iranians defy clerics and challenge religious leaders, overcoming the fear that ended dissent in the wake of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Read more
The United States said on Wednesday it would try to remove Iran from the 45-member UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) over the government’s denial of women’s rights and brutal crackdown on protests. Read more
Iran is starting the four-year term of the Commission, which meets every year in March and aims to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women.
Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt, writing by Andrea Shallal; Editing by Stephen Coates
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