So much hatred.

Via The National:

The birth of the United Kingdom’s Prince George last week gave Iran’s media and its conservative politicians a welcome opportunity to indulge in a favourite pastime – bashing Britain’s “dictatorial” royal family.

The pretext for their indignation was a news conference last week by Iran’s UK-educated foreign ministry spokesman, Abbas Araghchi, during which he was asked about the baby’s birth and replied by congratulating the British royal family.

For some Iranians, that gesture did not go over well – to say the least.

Several hardline parliamentarians lambasted him for commenting on a subject “not worthy of the dignity” of someone in his position.

“Iranians are still upset about the dark colonial history of England,” one MP, Javad Karimi Ghadousi, reminded the spokesman.

In what was probably news for many Britons, Mr Ghadousi then went on to say that those insulted by the spokesman’s remarks included the people of England who “themselves have formed widespread campaigns to oppose the basis of the monarchy”.

Even a moderate daily, Mardom Salari, chastised Mr Araghchi for commenting on “the unimportant royal baby”.

In a report from London, Iran’s state TV claimed that: “Nothing could have manifested the hatred of English people for their monarchy as much of the birth of this baby.”

It branded Queen Elizabeth “an iron-fisted dictator” who chooses members of parliament and fills key positions by appointment. “England has one of the most reactionary and medieval forms of government,” the channel told its viewers.