Iran’s Supreme Leader Targets “Scatterbrain” Joe Biden on His 80th Birthday

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday attacked President Joe Biden in a Twitter thread criticizing the United States’ foreign policy towards Iran.

“Some died, perished, disappeared, and others fell into the dustbin of history, though they may still be alive — from Democrats Carter, Clinton, and Obama to Republicans Reagan and Bush, from that foolish former president to the present.” Muddlehead wants to save Iran!” Khamenei tweeted.

President Biden turns 80 on Sunday, becoming the first US president of that age. His birthday comes amid questions as to whether or not he might run again in 2024 and whether, given his age, he is fit to serve another term.

In May, former President Donald Trump at one of his rallies poked fun at Biden’s stutter and urged the president to take a “cognitive test.” Biden has long struggled with a stutter, a condition unrelated to cognitive ability. Last year, a report by the president’s physician, Kevin O’Connor, found Biden to be healthy and fit for the office.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Khamenei continued to criticize American policy towards his country, accusing the US of “doing everything to harm Iran”.

“The US is doing what it can to harm Iran, but it can do nothing at all. Where are the American presidents who have fought the Islamic Republic in the decades since the revolution?” he tweeted.

He continued, “When US and global powers think of military options against Iran, they remember the 8-year Holy Defense. They can take a step, but they will get stuck and suffer in Iran. his allies that they may start a war, but they will not be the ones to end it.”

The Holy Defense is an annual commemoration of the Iran-Iraq War that began in 1980 when Iraq invaded Iran. The war ended in 1988 after the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 598 by both countries, resulting in a ceasefire.

Khamenei’s comments come amid ongoing large-scale anti-government protests, which first erupted in mid-September following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by Iran’s conservative morality police for showing too much of her hair. Iran requires women to wear headscarves in public under the country’s ultra-conservative laws. Those who defy these rules and standards could be arrested and fined.

After Amini died following her arrest and alleged abuse by the vice squad, demonstrations took place in Tehran, Iran and other major cities.

Iranian women have emerged as the dominant force in protests that continue to denounce these laws across the country, with some even calling for regime change. Since then, many students, children and workers have joined the women-centric protests.

In response, the Iranian government has used violence against protesters, resulting in the deaths of at least 362 protesters, including 56 children, according to the Iranian Human Rights Activists’ News Agency (HRANA). Around 16,000 demonstrators were also arrested by security forces.

news week has reached out to the Iranian Foreign Ministry and the White House for comment.