The top U.S. envoy on Iran on Friday criticized a European Union decision to give $20.7 million in aid to Tehran, saying it sent "the wrong message at the wrong time," and urged Brussels to help Washington end the Iranian threat to global stability.
"Foreign aid from European taxpayers perpetuates the regime's ability to neglect the needs of its people and stifles meaningful policy changes," Brian Hook, the U.S. special representative for Iran, said in a statement.
"The Iranian people face very real economic pressures caused by their government's corruption, mismanagement, and deep investment in terrorism and foreign conflicts," he added. "The United States and the European Union should be working together instead to find lasting solutions that truly support Iran's people and end the regime's threats to regional and global stability."