The Iranian Embassy mocked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over a post about Samarkand

The Iranian Embassy in Armenia reacted with irony to a post by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about Samarkand. Iranian diplomats accused the head of American diplomacy of double standards when assessing the historical heritage of the East and reminded him of his recent controversial speech in Greece.

The reason for the remote exchange was a post by Marco Rubio published during his trip to Uzbekistan to participate in a "C5+1" ministerial meeting. The American official wrote that Samarkand had played a key role in global trade throughout history and emphasized that it is important not only to remember the past, but also to build upon it when creating opportunities for the future.

In response, the Iranian diplomatic mission in Yerevan recalled the cultural origins of the ancient city, linking them to Iranian historical heritage. "It is great that you are studying history! The place where you stand is part of Persian civilization and architecture. The very civilization about which you talked nonsense last week near the Acropolis," the embassy's official statement said.

The dispute over historical assessments flared up after Marco Rubio's keynote speech in Athens on October 7. Speaking against the backdrop of the ancient Acropolis on the future of the Western world, the US Secretary of State turned to the era of the Greco-Persian Wars. He recalled the events of 480 BC, when the army of the Persian King Xerxes burned the Athenian sanctuaries and destroyed the old Acropolis, and also mentioned the defense of the 300 Spartans who resisted the troops of Persia.

In his speech, Rubio contrasted the ancient heritage of Greece and Rome, which laid the foundations of Western democracy, philosophy, and science, with the modern opponents of the US. The American diplomat declared the need to revive national power, reindustrialize the economy, and increase NATO defense spending, following the example of the recent agreement between the US, Denmark, and Greenland on the Arctic. At the same time, he made sharp attacks against modern Tehran, calling Iran's ruling circles "fanatics and radical clerics," and the regime itself a "death cult" that exalts martyrdom as an end in itself, in contrast to the Western understanding of honor and duty.

At that time, the words of the head of the State Department drew a harsh reaction from the Iranian Ambassador to Greece, Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari. The Iranian diplomat called Rubio's speech on the territory of a UNESCO World Heritage site an "unethical and provocative act" dictated by ignorance and prejudice. According to Mokhtari, the Washington representative used the platform in Athens to justify belligerent rhetoric and threats against Iran.

Responding to Rubio's historical parallels, the ambassador stressed that the history of human civilization should not become a field for political manipulation and distorted facts, as it was created over millennia thanks to the culture and knowledge of various peoples. In confirmation of his country's spiritual and historical contribution, Mokhtari cited the Old Testament, specifically the books of the prophets Ezra, Daniel, and Esther, which describe the greatness of the Persian Empire and present King Cyrus the Great as a chosen instrument for fulfilling the divine will and liberating peoples.

, that the head of the Presidential Administration, together with Marco Rubio, visited Registan Square in Samarkand. During a conversation with journalists, the US Secretary of State noted that the city had been an important center of international trade for centuries. According to him, new opportunities for cooperation between Uzbekistan and the US are opening up here today.