Iran minister calls Trump's condolences for attacks 'repugnant'

[June 08, 2017]    ANKARA (Reuters) - Iran's foreign minister on Thursday rejected Donald Trump's condolences for deadly attacks in Tehran, calling the U.S. president's words repugnant.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif meets with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (not pictured) at his office at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, April 23, 2017. REUTERS/Michalis Karagiannis

Trump had said he prayed for the victims of Wednesday's attacks that were claimed by Islamic State, but added that "states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote."

Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on his Twitter account: "Repugnant White House statement .... Iranian people reject such U.S. claims of friendship."

Suicide bombers and gunmen attacked the Iranian parliament and Ayatollah Khomeini's mausoleum in Tehran, killing at least 13 people in an unprecedented assault that Iran's Revolutionary Guards blamed on regional rival Saudi Arabia.

Islamic State claimed responsibility and threatened more attacks against Iran's majority Shi'ite population, seen by the hardline Sunni militants as heretics. Saudi Arabia said it was not involved.

(Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

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