Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has accused Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of encouraging violence on Twitter, as Tehran continues its campaign against the Israel-United Arab Emirates normalization deal.
Iran has been among the most prominent critics of the historic agreement, which it says represents a betrayal of the Palestinians. Many Arab states have traditionally refused to normalize ties with Israel until the Palestinian question is settled, but the UAE broke the long-standing wall of resistance last month with help from President Donald Trump's administration.
Israel agreed to stop—or perhaps only delay—its planned annexation of parts of the Palestinian West Bank in exchange for the UAE accord. But Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and the expansion of settlements considered illegal by the United Nations continue regardless.
Pompeo is among those who has argued that the settlements do not necessarily violate international law, but the U.S. and Israel stand largely alone on the issue.
Any hope of a lasting Israel-Palestine peace accord remains thin. Trump released a peace blueprint earlier this year, but the Palestinians and their allies dismissed it out of hand as a pro-Israeli proposal that would formalize the occupation and offer only a fragmented and neutered Palestinian state still under de facto Israeli control.
Khamenei on Tuesday said that the UAE had "betrayed the world of Islam, the Arab nations, the region's countries, and #Palestine. Of course, this betrayal won't last long."
"The UAE rulers opened the door of the region to the Zionists, and they have ignored and normalized the question of Palestine, which is a question about the usurpation of a country," Khamenei added. "This stigma will remain on them."
"I hope the UAE wakes up soon and compensates for what they've done," Khameei wrote on Twitter, which he and other top regime officials use even though it is banned in Iran. He then attacked the Trump administration for its involvement in the deal."
"The nation of Palestine is under various, severe pressures," Khamenei said. "Then, the UAE acts in agreement with the Israelis & filthy Zionist agents of the U.S.—such as the Jewish member of Trump's family—with utmost cruelty against the interests of the World of Islam."
The White House has previously criticized Khamenei for encouraging violence on Twitter, and Pompeo was quick to jump on the ayatollah's tweets.
"The world must reject and condemn @Khamenei_ir's ideology of hatred," Pompeo said. "The children of Abraham - Muslims, Christians, and Jews - rejoice at the prospect of peace, while @Khamenei_ir calls for more violence. The U.S. stands with the UAE and all those seeking a brighter future."
He added: "And if you're looking for those betraying Islam @Khamenei_ir, China is seeking to destroy the Uyghurs. Looking forward to your public callout for the CCP's horrific treatment of those Muslims," Pompeo said, referring to the Chinese Communist Party.
Iran is among the Muslim nations who have remained largely silent on China's repression of Muslim ethnic minority groups in ts far western Xinjiang province. Reports suggest that at least 1 million Muslims have been put in re-education camps there, in what campaigners have described as a "cultural genocide."
China has framed the camps as voluntary vocational centers where residents can receive new skills training. But critics have said Beijing is seeking to wipe out local culture and ensure total loyalty to and control for the CCP. Outside the camps, China has built a fearsome surveillance state in Xinjiang to closely monitor residents for any signs of dissent.
Iran—and even its more hard line Islamist lawmakers and officials—have failed to speak out against the CCP. Last month, former lawmaker Ali Motahari said it was a "failure" that Iran had failed to act while the U.S. has led the push back against Beijing.
