Iran supreme leader takes aim at Clinton, Trump

Khamenei says candidates’ remarks in the debates ‘sufficient for the annihilation of the reputation’ of the US

Illustrative: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, August 1, 2016. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
Illustrative: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, August 1, 2016. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

TEHRAN — It seems everyone has an opinion about the US presidential election, including Iran’s supreme leader.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticized both Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump in a speech Wednesday marking the 1979 takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran.

Khamenei said Clinton and Trump’s comments in the presidential debates “are sufficient for the annihilation of the reputation of the United States.”

He didn’t name either candidate in his speech.

He also described Americans as “liars, untrustworthy, deceitful and backstabbers” while saying he still opposed any direct negotiations with the US following the nuclear deal.

While Clinton has defended the Iran nuclear deal, Trump has vowed to gut it if elected president.

Iranian state television aired two of the three US presidential debates live.

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani in October described the two candidates as “bad and worse,” without specifying which was which.

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