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TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's new president is calling on the Egyptian army to stop "suppressing" the Egyptian people.
Hasan Rouhani's Thursday remarks came a day after security forces stormed two sit-ins occupied by supporters of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, ousted in a July 3 coup. Over 500 people were killed in violence that swept across the nation.
"I warn Egypt's military that Egyptians are a great and freedom-seeking nation. Do not suppress them," said Rouhani in a speech in parliament broadcast live on state TV. He condemned what he said was army "brutality."
The military overthrew Morsi, but police took the lead in Wednesday's crackdown.
Iranian officials have frequently spoken favorably of ousted President Mohammad Morsi, an Islamist whose year in power saw a thawing of relations between Tehran and Cairo.
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