Iranian President: ‘Death to America’ Chant ‘Is Not a Slogan Against’ Americans

‘Our people respect the American people’

KROFT: “I’m sure you realize that it is difficult for many Americans to get past the fact that President Obama has signed an agreement with a country that says ‘Death to America, Death to Israel’. How do you explain this? What are they to make of it? Are they to take it literally? Is this for domestic internal Iranian political consumption? What are Americans to make of it, the language?”

ROUHANI (as interpreted): “This slogan that is chanted is not a slogan against the American people. Our people respect the American people. The Iranian people are not looking for war with any country but at the same time, the policies of the United States have been against the national interests of Iranian people. It’s understandable that people will demonstrate sensitivity to this issue. When the people rose up against the Shah, the United States aggressively supported the Shah until the last moments. In the eight-year war with Iraq, the people responded Saddam. People will not forget these things. We cannot forget the past, but at the same time gaze must be toward the future.”

Video files
Full
Compact
Audio files
Full
Compact