Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sits for an interview with Reuters in New York, New York, U.S. April 24, 2019. Photo: REUTERS/Carlo Allegri.

A State Department spokeswoman issued an unusually harsh rebuke of Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday, calling him a “hypocrite.”

Spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus tweeted, “It’s not surprising that @JZarif, the self-proclaimed ‘human rights professor’ who’s the mouthpiece for #Iran’s violent regime, comes to the U.S. to enjoy the freedoms he denies the Iranian people.”

“What is surprising is some people still give this hypocrite the light of day,” she added.

It’s not surprising that @JZarif, the self-proclaimed “human rights professor” who’s the mouthpiece for #Iran’s violent regime, comes to the U.S. to enjoy the freedoms he denies the Iranian people. What is surprising is some people still give this hypocrite the light of day.

— State Department Spokesperson 2013-2025 (@statedeptspox_a) April 28, 2019

The tweet appeared to be a thinly veiled criticism of Fox News star Geraldo Rivera, who had earlier tweeted a picture of himself with Zarif, saying, “Whatever you think of his ancient country at least they’re not slaughtering religious minorities like #SaudiArabia just did; executing 37, 33 of them Shiites.”

Under heavy criticism, Rivera appears to have deleted the tweet. However, a defense of himself remains up on Twitter, stating, “To those criticizing my meeting w #Iran’s FM did you also criticize the recent mass executions in #SaudiArabia? How about the slaughter in #Yemen? 9/11? #Khashoggi?”

“Put away your pompous hypocrisy you’re probably on the payroll,” he railed.

To those criticizing my meeting w #Iran’s FM did you also criticize the recent mass executions in #SaudiArabia? How about the slaughter in #Yemen? 9/11? #Khashoggi? Put away your pompous hypocrisy you’re probably on the payroll.

— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) April 27, 2019