Iranian MP brands US 'embodiment of Satan,' calls reformists 'friends of Satan'

An Iranian lawmaker accused prominent reformist and opposition figures of promoting submission to the United States, using harsh religious language during a speech in parliament on Sunday.

Mohammad Seraj, a Tehran lawmaker, described the United States as “the embodiment of Satan” and said calls for engagement with Washington amounted to abandoning Iran’s independence and Islamic principles.

Seraj said those advocating what he called a “comprehensive agreement” with the United States were “friends of Satan,” naming former presidents Hassan Rouhani and Mohammad Khatami, as well as reformist opposition figures Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi.