Rick Scott, a Republican U.S. senator, in response to the release of calls made at a memorial ceremony for Ali Khamenei for the assassination of a number of American citizens, said: “The United States is facing a government that seeks to destroy the American way of life and kill the citizens of this country.” He added: “The Islamic Republic has openly called for the assassination of prominent American figures who are critical of this government and emphasized that is why the Islamic Republic must never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.”