Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has expressed support for the tens of thousands of protesters in Iran's capital, saying they "deserve to have the same rights that they saw being played out in Egypt and are part of their own birthright", AP reported.
Speaking to reporters after meeting House Speaker John Boehner (BAY'-nur) on Capitol Hill, Clinton says she and others in Barack Obama administration "very clearly and directly support the aspirations of the people who are in the streets" of Tehran.
She spoke of the "hypocrisy" of the Iranian government that hailed the protests in Egypt but has tried to suppress opposition at home.
She said there "needs to be a commitment to open up the political system, to hear the voices of the opposition and civil society."