Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said his government is “ready to listen” to protesters while urging them to prevent “rioters” and “terrorist elements” from wreaking havoc.
Pezeshkian spoke about the unrest in an interview on state television on Sunday, as the demonstrations entered a third week.
The demonstrations, which have evolved from economic grievances into broader antigovernment protests, are the largest in Iran since the 2022-2023 movement spurred by the custodial death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman who had been arrested for allegedly violating the strict dress code for women.
The Iranian president told the IRIB broadcaster that Israel and the United States were masterminding the destabilisation in the country, saying that “the same people that struck this country” during Israel’s 12-day war in June were “trying to escalate these unrests with regard to the economic discussion.”
“They have trained some people inside and outside the country; they have bought in some terrorists from outside,” Pezeshkian said, claiming the perpetrators had attacked a bazaar in the city of Rasht and set “mosques on fire.”
The Iranian president said the government had heard the shopkeepers’ concerns and is going to solve their problems “by any means necessary.” However, he urged the public not to allow “rioters” to disrupt the country.
“Rioters are not protesting people. We hear the protesters and have made every effort to solve their problems,” he said.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said that their findings reveal how security forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran’s police force have unlawfully used rifles, shotguns loaded with metal pellets, water cannon, tear gas and beatings to disperse, intimidate and punish largely peaceful protesters.
State media reported that 109 security personnel have been killed during the latest unrest. Authorities have not confirmed the number of demonstrators who have lost their lives, but opposition activists based outside the country say the death toll is higher and includes hundreds of protesters.
Authorities on Sunday also declared three days of national mourning “in honour of martyrs killed in resistance against the United States and the Zionist regime,” according to state media.
A nationwide internet blackout has persisted for more than 72 hours, according to monitoring groups.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday he was “shocked” by reports of violence against protesters in Iran and called on the government to show restraint.
“The rights to freedom of expression, association & peaceful assembly must be fully respected & protected,” he said on X.
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