A top foreign policy adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said US President Donald Trump’s recent tough remarks about Iran “shows the depth of the American president’s predatory nature”, the official news agency IRNA reported October 10.

Kamal Kharrazi, a former foreign minister and currently the head of the Strategic Council on Foreign Policy set up by Khamenei also responded to the latest batch of American sanctions announced on October 8 and aimed at totally isolating Iran from the world financial system.

 “America’s intention by imposing new sanctions and increasing pressure is to bring Iran to its knees. They have adopted this maximum pressure policy framework, exited the JCPOA [Iran nuclear deal], imposed sanctions and martyred Haj Qasem Soleimani”, Kharrazi said.

Khamenei’s adviser said that America’s goal is not just to impose sanctions but to topple the regime. However, Kharrazi claimed that the people of Iran are aware of all these and although there is inflation, they will resist and not give in.

Trump announced the withdrawal of the United States from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA in May 2018, demanding a new nuclear agreement to make sure Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons in the future and also Tehran’s change of behavior in the region, as well as an end to its ballistic missile program.

Iran’s currency experienced another significant fall on Sunday, reaching 315,000 against the US dollar. Just since Thursday the rial has fallen more than six percent. Inflation in food prices has reached three-digit numbers signaling the onset of hyperinflation.

Kharrazi also commented on US presidential elections, saying that the White House has nothing to show in foreign policy and Trump’s tough remarks against Iran are a campaign tactic.

In an interview with right-wing radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh on October 9, Trump said, “Iran has been put on notice, If you f… around with us, we are going to do things to you that have never been done before.”

Kharrazi responded that Trump’s insulting language “shows his anger and dissatisfaction for the failure of sanctions and not achieving his goals regarding Iran.” He insisted that this kind of language will unite Iranians.

However, the economic pressure has led to repeated waves of popular protests since 2017. In the past few months, Tehran has become more aggressive toward dissidents, jailing many and executing several political prisoners. Commentators say the regime is clearly nervous about new unrest and wants to keep people obedient.

In one recent show of intimidation, the police paraded people accused of crimes in the streets, beating and humiliating them in public, in violation of international human rights principles and Iran’s own laws.