TEHRAN, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Thursday denounced the "violent crackdown" by U.S. police on American university students and professors during their pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
He made the remarks in a post on social media platform X, while reacting to the arrest of hundreds of students at a number of universities across the United States following protests on campuses against the Israeli war in Gaza and U.S. military aid to Israel.
"The crackdown is consistent with the continuation of Washington's all-out support and backing for Israel, and is a clear proof of the U.S.'s double standards approach and contradictory behavior towards freedom of expression," he said.
The Iranian foreign minister said the global wave of protests against Israel and its supporters is "undeniable" following Israel's killing of tens of thousands of Palestinian women and children, and especially after the recent discovery of the mass graves at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
"The White House must immediately stop its support for Israel's war crimes and be accountable," he emphasized.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have recently erupted at universities across the United States, including the University of Southern California, Columbia University, University of Texas and Yale University.
Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, after the group carried out a surprise attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people. Israel has so far killed 34,262 Palestinians and injured 77,229 others, according to the Gaza-based Health Ministry on Wednesday. ■
