Iran criticises US over Minneapolis police killing, slams racism

Iran came down heavily on Washington on Saturday over the alleged killing of an unarmed black man by a white police officer that sparked protests across the United States.

"Some don't think #BlackLivesMatter," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter. "To those of us who do: it is long overdue for the entire world to wage war against racism. Time for a #WorldAgainstRacism."

"The U.S. government is squandering its citizens' resources," Zarif said in a tweet echoing a 2018 statement from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The tweet featured an image of Pompeo's statement addressing protests in Iran, but with elements crossed out and replaced.

Iran's foreign ministry earlier denounced the killing in Minneapolis, which has sparked protests in several cities, some of which have turned violent.

A ministry statement condemned what it called "the tragic murder of black people and deadly racial discrimination in the United States".

"The voices of the protesters must be heard," it said.

(With inputs from Reuters)