Iran brands Trump's response to terror attack 'repugnant'

US President offered commiseration after suicide bombing of Parliament in Tehran but cautioned ‘states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote’

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the country’s people ‘reject such US claims of friendship’ (Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters)

Iran’s Foreign Minister has rejected Donald Trump's condolences for deadly attacks in Tehran, calling the US President’s words repugnant. Mr Trump had said he prayed for the victims of Wednesday’s attacks that were claimed by Isis, but added that “states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote.”

Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on his Twitter account: “Repugnant White House statement... Iranian people reject such US claims of friendship.” Suicide bombers and gunmen attacked the Iranian parliament and Ayatollah Khomeini's mausoleum in Tehran, killing at least 13 people in an unprecedented assault that Iran's Revolutionary Guards blamed on regional rival Saudi Arabia.

Isis claimed responsibility and threatened more attacks against Iran's majority Shi'ite population, seen by the hardline Sunni militants as heretics. Saudi Arabia said it was not involved.

Reuters