Iranian President: US presidential election is 'devoid of morality'

LOS ANGELES, United States (Kurdistan24) – The Iranian President on Monday finally broke his silence about the upcoming US presidential election which has become a heated debate in Iran.

Addressing a group of Iranians in the city of Arak, Markazi Province, Hassan Rouhani deplored the US presidential debate for lacking “morality.”

“We witness that after two centuries of democracy and holding over 50 presidential elections...the US, a major industrial nation, holds presidential debates that are devoid of morality,” state-run Nasim news agency reported.

Referring to the way the candidates accuse and mock each other, Rouhani said this election would be “choosing between bad and worse.”

“A leader at the United Nations asked me which I prefer [Trump or Clinton]. I responded, ‘Should I prefer bad over worse or worse over bad?’”

Most Iranian analysts believe Hillary Clinton would be the worse choice for Iran since she is firm in imposing sanctions on the country and more successful in isolating Iran in the international community.

After Tehran reached a nuclear deal with the West, some of the economic sanctions were lifted, letting Iran breathe after years of suffering from a crippling economy. 

“In the past, if we wanted to walk or move, shackles of the sanctions obstructed our way,” Rouhani told a crowd in Arak.

“But today these chains do not exist. We should move, because the main obstacle has been lifted, and our banking relations with the world have been established and will be expanded day after day,” he continued.

Hardliners in Iran constantly criticize Rouhani for having “stooped” to the West by signing an agreement that “has no benefit” for Iran.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany