Iran foreign minister scorns Trump after speech, arms deal

The US has never contended with how its decades of support for repressive regimes around the world, its support for Israel and the many wars in places like Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan have been instrumental in the rise of terrorism as a result of the breakdown of societies and states.

Iran, meanwhile, accused the U.S. of selling arms to “dangerous terrorists” in the Middle East and of spreading “Iranophobia” to encourage Arab states to purchase arms, state TV reported. Yet Trump may still need to engage in some delicate diplomacy following revelations that he disclosed highly classified intelligence Israel obtained about the Islamic State with top Russian officials, without Israel’s permission. For Trump, the trip is a reprieve from the crush of controversies that have marred his young presidency and an attempt to reset his relationship with a region and a religion he fiercely criticized as a candidate.

The president’s visit will include a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust remembrance center, Bethlehem and the Western Wall.

“And he could not have been clearer in his description of Hezbollah and Hamas as the terrorist groups they most assuredly are”, Harris also said.

“This deal has President Trump throwing gasoline on a house fire and locking the door on his way out”, wrote Eric Ferrero, Amnesty International USA communications director. Drive them out of your communities.

“We are not here to lecture – we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship”, Trump said, speaking in an ornate room in the Saudi capital.

Introducing Trump, Saudi King Salman described their mutual foe Iran as the source of terrorism they must confront together.

As President Donald Trump celebrated what he called a “tremendous” first day in Saudi Arabia, his onetime campaign adviser and longtime confidante Roger Stone expressed nothing but aversion for the Gulf nation and parts of the President’s trip.

Today, Rouhani contrasted the heavy Iranian voter turnout with the lack of elections in Mr. Trump’s host kingdom.

Iran is a Shi’ite Muslim country. During a round-table discussion on the women’s economic empowerment, she said: “Saudi Arabia’s progress, especially in recent years, is very encouraging but there’s still a lot of work to be done and freedoms and opportunities to continue to fight for”.

President Donald Trump urged Arab and Islamic leaders on Sunday to unite and do their share to defeat Islamist extremists, making an impassioned plea to “drive out” terrorists while toning down his own harsh rhetoric about Muslims.

For the PBS NewsHour, I’m John Yang.

JUDY WOODRUFF: I spoke a little earlier with Tamara Keith of NPR, who is in Jerusalem.

Donald Trump’s first visit overseas is to Saudi Arabia in the Middle East.

Despite reservations from Saudi Arabia and Israel, his administration went ahead with the Iran nuclear deal. There was a marching band.

A Sunday meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi underscored the kinship, with Trump saluting his counterpart on the April release of Egyptian-American charity worker Aya Hijazi, who had been detained in the country for almost three years.

TAMARA KEITH: So, this was one of the times when reporters come into the room – it’s basically a photo-op. “The Saudis are intensely hated in the Arab [and] Muslim world and their open subservience to the United States and Israel won’t help”.

Well, both leaders were eager to respond.

The moment was an abrupt interruption of an otherwise warm and smooth welcome for Trump to the Holy Land.

What do you know about that?

KEITH: And this line he used at campaign rallies.

Netanyahu noted that Trump’s choosing to visit Israel so early in his presidency was another of the U.S. chief executive’s unprecedented decisions. “I’ve heard is one of the toughest deals of all”, he said.

He certainly seemed to be toning down the language.

Iran and Saudi Arabia have long accused each other of sponsoring militias aligned to their competing sects of Islam in conflicts across the Middle East.

TAMARA KEITH: Yes, he didn’t bring it up certainly in a big way.