A general in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps has derided the “decadence” of American culture, citing the presidential candidacy of Democrat Pete Buttigieg, who is openly homosexual.

During an interview on Iran’s Channel 5 translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Gen. Mostafa Izadi described homosexuality as animalistic behavior.

“The West is in crisis. Isn’t it sad that a candidate for [US] president — I am ashamed to say who — He is a homosexual. [Isn’t it sad] that such a man presents his candidacy for president?”

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Izadi, head of the Guards’ Cyber and New Threats Division, added: “And on top of that, he stands a chance [to win]. This is real decadence.”

IRGC General Izadi: The West Is in Crisis When a Homosexual Is Running for U.S. President; Man Is Different from Animal; Our Revolution Will Liberate Humanity pic.twitter.com/XnRlQpEeSu — MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) March 1, 2020

In Iran, gays and lesbians can face lashings or death sentences if convicted. Human rights groups estimate that over 4,000 gays have been executed since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Famously, former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a crowd at New York’s Columbia University in 2007 that “in Iran, we don’t have homosexuals like in your country.”

Buttigieg, 38, is the first openly gay man with a semi-realistic chance of getting a major party nomination to run for the White House.

Earlier this month his homosexuality was mocked by a close ally of US President Donald Trump, drawing criticism. Veteran radio host Rush Limbaugh told listeners that Trump would relish going head-to-head with a candidate who kissed his husband on stage.

“Boy can you see Trump have fun with that?” said Limbaugh, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the highest civilian honor in the country — during Trump’s State of the Union speech earlier this month.

Agencies contributed to this report.