WAR OF WORDS

Iran Mocks Trump as Lacking ‘Mental Capacity’ to Do His Job

As Tehran’s lawmakers set U.S. flag ablaze.

The speaker of the Iranian parliament, Ali Larijani, launched a vicious attack Wednesday on Donald Trump, saying the U.S. president “does not have the mental capacity to deal with issues,” and adding, ominously, that he “only understands the language of force.” Just hours after President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear deal, Iranian lawmakers chanted “Death to America” and lit a paper U.S. flag on fire during an impromptu protest inside the country’s parliament. Lawmakers also burned a piece of paper meant to represent the deal, which lifted most U.S. and international sanctions in exchange for restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear program. After repeatedly blasting the agreement as the “worst deal ever” and “one-sided,” Trump pulled the U.S. out Tuesday and vowed to impose “the highest level of economic sanctions” on Iran. Trump claimed the move “will make America safer,” though Washington’s European allies warned it would only inflame tensions in the region.