Liberman tweets at Iranians amid criticism of regime’s spending on proxies

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman tweets a message in Persian to the citizens of Iran in an apparent attempt to stoke criticism of their government’s support for regional proxies at the expense of its own citizens.

“Citizens of Iran, where did your money go?” the message begins, according to a translation emailed by Liberman’s office.

Iran, he continues, “despite domestic economic difficulties, continues to invest billions in Syria, Hezbollah, [Palestinian] Islamic Jihad, the Houthis in Yemen and Shiite militias in Iraq.”

Liberman says that Tehran has committed to pouring $2.5 billion into those groups in 2018, and, over the years, has invested $14 million in Syria alone.

His comments come a day after anti-government protests in Tehran that focused on the regime’s investment in military proxies amid an economic downturn in the country.

Some of the protesters chanted “Death to Palestine.”