Trump claims CIA told him Iran’s new leader ‘is gay’ | World | News
US President Donald Trump claimed that the country’s foreign intelligence service told him that Iran’s new leader is “gay”.
Asked in an interview with Fox News whether the CIA had told Mr. Trump that Ayatollah Jr. was gay, Mr. Trump said: “They did say that… I think a lot of people say that – which gets him off to a bad start in that country.”
Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed as the Supreme Leader of Iran after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed by US and Israeli forces at the beginning of the conflict in the Middle East. The USA and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28. Iran retaliated by hitting important targets in the Middle East, plunging the region into chaos.
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Ayatollah Jr. was appointed by senior clerics to rule the country in a system where homosexuality was punishable by death.
According to Fair Planet, a global non-profit social organization focused on human rights and environmental justice: “Homosexuality is illegal in Iran and carries severe penalties under the country’s Islamic criminal code.
“Consensual same-sex sexual activity is criminalized and those convicted can face imprisonment, flogging or even the death penalty.
“The Iranian government justified its stance on homosexuality on religious and cultural grounds, claiming that homosexuality is a sin and contrary to Islamic values.”
“They’re killing gays. They’re killing them instantly. They’re throwing them off buildings,” Mr. Trump said in the interview, referring to the “Gays for Palestine” movement.
In fact, he said it polled “very well” with the LGBTQ community — even noting that the Village People’s “YCMA” song he used at rallies was a “gay national anthem.”
“No Republican has gotten as many gay votes as I have, and I am very proud of that,” he said.
