Tehran's provisional Friday Prayers Leader Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami strongly condemned the removal of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO, also known as the MEK, NCR and PMOI) from the US list of terrorist group. |
Addressing a large and fervent congregation of worshipers here in Tehran on Friday, Ayatollah Khatami said the US move demonstrated Washington's open animosity towards the Islamic Republic.
"They showed through this action that they have stood up against the Islamic Republic. The US has now become the center of campaign against the Islamic Revolution."
Last Friday, the US State Department removed the MKO from its list of foreign terrorist organizations. The decision made by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton enabled the group to have its assets under US jurisdiction unfrozen and do business with American entities, the State Department said in a statement at the time.
Iran's first reaction came on Saturday when the Iranian Foreign Ministry in a statement condemned the US move and said it displayed Washington's double standard policies.
The statement rapped Washington for applying double standards in dealing with terrorism, reminding that the terrorist MKO is responsible for the deaths of thousands of Iranian civilians.
The delisting of MKO was "a violation of America's legal and international obligations" that could threaten US interests. The decision "will bring US responsibility for past, present and future terrorist operations by this group," the statement said.