Twelve people have been killed during the fourth night of “spontaneous” protests in Iran, according to state TV. The deaths follow reports that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard vowed to “crush dissent” and take tough action if the unrest continued in what began as a protest against economic policies and seemed to immediately morph into a call for regime change – with demonstrators protesting against state security forces and calling for the ouster of Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The Daily Mail reported overnight that three people were shot dead by security forces who opened fire on protesters in Isfahan, while two individuals were run over in the town of Dorud by a stolen fire truck, and another two were shot overnight in the southwestern town of Izeh. “Armed protesters tried to take over some police stations and military bases but faced serious resistance from security forces,” state TV reported.
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Video purportedly filmed in the city shows dozens of marchers on the streets as vehicles burn around them before what sounds like gunshots are heard.
The deaths in Izeh were confirmed by local politician Hedayatollah Khademi, who said it was unclear whether they were killed by police or other demonstrators.
‘The governor said it (the gunfire) was unlikely to be by police as they were not supposed to open fire,’ he said.
The shooting in Isfahan was reported by several prominent Twitter personalities including Amichai Stein, foreign affairs correspondent for the Israeli public broadcasting corporation, but could not be independently verified.
Elsewhere police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse a small protest in Tehran’s Enghelab Square on Sunday evening.
#ايران_تتحرر_من_الطغيان
٧ جرحى بصفوف المتظاهرين بمدينة شاهين شهر الإيرانية نتيجة المواجهات المتواصلة بين المتظاهرين والبسيج والتي نجم عنها احراق ما لايقل عن ٣ عجلات للبسيج حتى الآن pic.twitter.com/dlfr6p03vm— وكالـة الرافـدين…✍ (@Wady_8AI_rafdyn) December 31, 2017m
Meanwhile, protesters in the small northwestern town of Takestan set fire to government buildings and a Shia Muslim monastery, according to the ILNA news agency.The Mail also reports protests in the cities of Izeh (southwest), Kermanshah and Khorramabad (west), Shahinshahr (northwest) and Zanjan (north).
City: Takestan
Cameraman says: “This is Takestan’s Hawza. A good number of people have shown up. They are united.”#IranProtests #تظاهرات_سراسرى #يحدث_الان_في_ايران #متحد_شویم #IranProtest pic.twitter.com/RGGhUPs09i— Armin Navabi (@ArminNavabi) December 31, 2017
Protesters also marched towards the residence of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, while others burned pictures of him:
#IranProtests: Protesters march toward residence of #Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei https://t.co/o4T5UixZnE pic.twitter.com/xgUmlyi3FJ
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) December 31, 2017a
Protesters in Iran set fire to a poster of Khomeini (Former Supreme Religious Leader of #Iran and the leader of the Islamic Revolution in 1979)#IranProtests #تظاهرات_سراسرى #يحدث_الان_في_ايران #متحد_شویم #IranProtest pic.twitter.com/uSr04mx2JK
— Armin Navabi (@ArminNavabi) December 31, 2017
‘Death to the dictator:’ Videos show intensified #IranProtests overnight https://t.co/XITA5U22y3 pic.twitter.com/oPcSdBcxSJ
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) December 30, 2017
#BREAKING#Demonstrations_in_Iran spreading from #Mashhad to other cities, including #Kermanshah. People voicing political demands & opposing regime’s foreign policies.
“Not Gaza, Not Lebanon, My life for Iran.”#Iranprotests pic.twitter.com/nifAwq1bb5— Heshmat Alavi (@HeshmatAlavi) December 29, 2017
Some demonstrators threw rocks at the revolutionary guard:
.#يحدث_الان_في_ايران متظاهرون إيرانيون يرشقون قوات الحرس الثوري بالحجارة ـ #إيران_تنتفض #انتفاضة_الشعب_الإيراني pic.twitter.com/5h4APhbtWU #IranProtests #FreeIran #ايران_تتحرر_من_الطغيان #مظاهرات_ايران #تظاهرات_سراسرى #الربيع_اﻹيراني_بهار_آزادى #ايران #Iran
— توفيق الرشودي (@tawfikrashkcycy) January 1, 2018
As we reported on Saturday, the US State Department has issued a formal condemnation of the Iranian government following two days of economic protests centering in a handful of cities, calling the regime “a rogue state whose chief exports are violence, bloodshed, and chaos” while announcing support for protesters. It fits a familiar script which seems to roll out when anyone protests for any reason in a country considered an enemy of the United States.
US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert released a statement on Friday which effectively calls for regime change;
U.S. strongly condemns arrest of peaceful protestors in #Iran, urges all nations to publicly support Iranian people. As @POTUS said, longest-suffering victims of Iran’s leaders are Iran’s own people. #Iranprotests pic.twitter.com/mUTObTeHft
— Heather Nauert (@statedeptspox) December 29, 2017
The next day, President Trump tweeted that the “Many reports of peaceful protests by Iranian citizens fed up with regime’s corruption & its squandering of the nation’s wealth to fund terrorism abroad. Iranian govt should respect their people’s rights, including right to express themselves,” adding “The world is watching!”
Many reports of peaceful protests by Iranian citizens fed up with regime’s corruption & its squandering of the nation’s wealth to fund terrorism abroad. Iranian govt should respect their people’s rights, including right to express themselves. The world is watching! #IranProtests
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2017
And Mike Pence, of course, stands with Trump in supporting “peaceful protesters in Iran who are speaking out for freedom,” adding “we condemn the arrests of innocents,” and “The time has come for the regime in Tehran to end terrorist activities, corruption & their disregard for human rights.”
.@POTUS & I stand w/ peaceful protestors in Iran who are speaking out for freedom & we condemn the arrests of innocents. The time has come for the regime in Tehran to end terrorist activities, corruption, & their disregard for human rights. #IranProtests https://t.co/PcZMk07RcB
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) December 30, 2017
Yesterday, President Trump tweeted “Big protests in Iran. The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. The USA is watching very closely for human rights violations!”
Big protests in Iran. The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. Looks like they will not take it any longer. The USA is watching very closely for human rights violations!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017
In a later tweet, Trump accused Iran of ‘numerous violations of human rights,‘ and commented on the disruption to social media, saying it ‘has now closed down the Internet so that peaceful demonstrators cannot communicate. Not good! As The Daily Mail reports, Iranian President Rouhani dismissed Trump’s comments.
‘This man who today in America wants to sympathise with our people has forgotten that a few months ago he called the nation of Iran terrorist.
‘This person whose whole being is against the nation of Iran has no right to feel pity for the people of Iran.’
Somewhat interesting are the specific mentions of “corruption” and “human rights violations” in light of the Executive Order Trump issued the week before those tweets which allows for the freezing of US-housed assets of foreign individuals or entities deemed “serious human rights abusers,” along with government officials and executives of foreign corporations (current or former) found to have engaged in corruption – which includes the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, and corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources.
Of note, anyone in the United States who aids or participates in said corruption or human rights abuses by foreign parties is subject to frozen assets – along with any U.S. corporation who employs foreigners deemed to have engaged in corruption on behalf of the company.
Might there be (or have been) a corresponding freezing of the assets belonging to Iran-linked individuals or entities in the United States on the horizon?
Have any D.C. lobbyists done work on behalf of Iranian interests which may be deemed corrupt?
Meanwhile, twitter user Strategic Sentinel has posted an unverified flight map of what appear to be a “large amount of aircraft leaving Iran at the moment, many with no callsign, origin, or destination” adding “Exodus in progress?”
Large amount of aircraft leaving Iran at the moment, many with no callsign, origin, or destination. Exodus in progress? pic.twitter.com/Ef33nTxGGI
— Strategic Sentinel (@StratSentinel) December 31, 2017
Charter flight company SCAT has an aircraft coming out of Iran with no registered callsign, no registered destination, and no registered origination point. pic.twitter.com/WD3WnLFtQ0
— Strategic Sentinel (@StratSentinel) December 31, 2017
This is in addition to two flights which are Iranian in origin with no callsign inside Iran: one from Iran Airtours and one from Iran Aseman Airlines. Both of these planes also have no callsign, no destination, and no origin, but are clearly landing in #Tehran .@AircraftSpots pic.twitter.com/QvCr4Q4MT9
— Strategic Sentinel (@StratSentinel) December 31, 2017
UPDATE: Still some aircraft with no callsign, but not as many as before. Some have disappeared, while the remaining aircraft have dispersed across Iran. Very few aircraft landing or departing at either IKA (Tehran Imam Khomeini Intl) or THR (Tehran Mehrabad Intl). pic.twitter.com/SEafVmgPWJ
— Strategic Sentinel (@StratSentinel) December 31, 2017
It’s surprising how these “peaceful” regime change protests keep getting out of hand, although – connected to that – it’s a change to see Adam Schiff agree with President Trump and Mike Pence on something.
Watching events in Iran with great concern over violence against and arrest of peaceful protestors. We stand with the people in Iran and their right to peacefully assemble, petition their government and choose their leaders in a democratic process free from fraud and interference
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) December 31, 2017
Iran is about to come apart, there is no good thing in their future.
But is is a necessary development for the coming change in the world, one that the world has been awaiting for several thousand years.
Did you copy that from the toy inside the Cracker Jack box?
Are you unable to reply with a valid criticism or are you a Moron that has no idea what is going on there?
If you can make and support an intelligent reply in disagreement, do so.
If you can’t, Fuck Off.
Moron here – am unable to provider an intelligent reply to your ‘opinion’, and as you know, opinions are like assholes, everybody has one.
Do you have a crystal ball to read Iran’s future?
“But is is a necessary development for the coming change in the world, one that the world has been awaiting for several thousand years.” – Based on what, the same crystal ball?
You’re not very bright, are you?
I just finished watching the movie ‘Bright’ and then I come back to Internet to find you, another Orc.
Iran is not coming apart,total neocon wishful thinking .After the neocons failure in Syria and failure in Lebanon they try to exaggerate small protests which have been hijacked by CIA backed terrorist organisations. Iranian backed forces smashed US occupying forces in Iraq and Syria , it’s going to get worse for US troops in north west Syria . It’s a last hurrah by the neocons to launch a war against Iran. At least it’s hiding the US / Saudi war crimes in Yemen. And here I was thinking Americans were against interference in other countries affairs lol,oh wait.
Don’t believe that crap about the pen being mightier than the sword. The Mullahs will squash this movement even if it is not CIA operation.
“Trump accused Iran of ‘numerous violations of human rights'”
It is a good thing that the US does not cause violations of human rights, especially death in foreign countries…..wait, what? Oh yeah, it is the pot calling the kettle black (oops, another racist phrase that must be expunged).
Part A. The axis of evil wants regime change and if successful. . .
Part B. . . . will swing back around and hit Syria again.
Just a thought.
12 people isnt many considering the size and number of the protests. In the US it would probably be higher. I wouldnt necessarily blame the cops and militia for them either. They could easily be CIA/Mossad efforts to inflame the mobs.
Given that these protests are merely stating what they are against but not what they are for…that there is no Khomeini waiting in the wings to fly in and assume leadership, my gut tells me that this thing will settle down when the people get tired of fighting cops day after day.
But we have had larger ones recently, and the toll of those killed and unjustly arrested was zero.
Sorry, but you country of allegiance is showing its true nature to the world as it falls apart and ends up as a lower level of civilization than it already is.
Are you kidding? The US has NEVER had protests of this size, spread among so many cities. Americans are far too fat, lazy and apathetic to take to the streets and demand their freedom.
BLM, ANTIFA, etc. were quite large, particularly taken as a whole.
How many total are protesting in Iran?
Remember how the government brutally crushed the last round back in ’08 or ’09 over corrupt elections?
Americans don’t need to “take to the streets and demand their freedom” since they already have it and exercise it on a frequent basis on all sorts of issues without brutal government attacks on them for doing it.
There are two sides, theirs is on the rise and yours is on the way out, and it won’t be all that long before it happens.
Nobody knows how many protesters there are in Iran but lets try some maff.
Assume the protests have spread to 40 cities with an average of 1o,000 per city. That yields 400,000 protestors. That number may be high or it may be low. Iran has 80 million and most are 35 or younger so there is a large pool of potential protestors…
The protests started over the economy which is suffering from 35 years of sanctions, hijacked by CIA / Mossad backed cells. The protesters were told they have a right to protest but not to destroy public property and that is when the riot police moved in when they got violent, as they do in any America city when rioters destroy property or people.
Western backed lügenpress report 12 deaths,Iranians report 2 who were run over by a fire engine stolen by “protesters”.
Trump’s support for rioters shows new anti-Iran sedition: Commander
Mon Jan 1, 2018 03:20PM
Deputy Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri
A senior Iranian military commander says US President Donald Trump’s support for rioters in Iran shows Washington’s scheme to hatch a new act of sedition against the Islamic Republic.
Deputy Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri added on Monday that the support of the highest-ranking US official along with some arrogant countries and media outlets for rioters revealed that Washington had been planning to incite new sedition in Iran.
However, all such attempts resulted in nothing but the humiliation of the Islamic Revolution’s enemies, he said.
The top Iranian army commander emphasized that the US and international Zionism were hatching evil plots against the Islamic Revolution while the United States itself was plagued with various public protests against the White House’s policies and measures in 2017.
It is expected that popular uprisings and opposition against the US administration would increase in 2018, he said.
Jazayeri pointed to the increasing separatist moves in the US and emphasized that all measures by the United States and international Zionism against Iran would only lead to their defeat.
Since Thursday, groups of Iranian protesters have staged protests in several cities to voice their anger over rising prices and economic conditions. Sporadic violence has erupted during the protests causing a number of deaths.
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday the Iranian people would deal with a “small and minority group” of rioters and lawbreakers exploiting the protests against economic conditions in a number of Iranian cities in recent days.
PressTV-Iranians will deal with rioters, lawbreakers: Rouhani
The Iranian president says the people will deal with a small group of rioters and lawbreakers that try to exploit protests against economic conditions.
Rouhani said the nation would counter the small group that has used protests as an excuse to chant slogans in violation of the law and people’s demands, insult the sanctities and values of the Islamic Revolution, and damage public property.
It’s great that Trump’s supporting them, but I wish he’d do more. Like shipping them heavy weaponry to fight with the same way Iran is supplying everything all the way up to ballistic missiles to the Houthis to use against Saudi Arabia.
Or maybe the Iranians could help the taliban with some anti aircraft missils,American forces in Afghanistan would be truly screwed.
Have you seen this? I don’t like it.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-01-01/us-intelligence-reportedly-gives-israel-green-light-assassinate-irans-top-general
This is his reward for defeating ISIS terrorists.
If USA is really concerned about the welfare of the Iranian people it would lift the sanctions which are undoubtedly the cause of the current economic problems. Newscaster have said that the young protesters don’t want their country to be involved in regional conflicts like Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Sounds like the script was written by someone’s intelligence service.
The vaste majority of people support irans involvement in Syria and its support for hezbollah because they know if Syria and hezbollah are defeated they are next. The US does not bring freedom or prosperity to countries but death . It’s all about stealing resources.
I believe you are correct. I saw a poll in which almost 70% of Iranians supported their government’s actions against ISIS in Syria and Iraq
I have to agree with you.
I kind of feel like this is like their own Iraq adventures coming back to bite them in the butt. I linked a Wikipedia list of political parties to the other thread and it’s interesting to note how many dissident and banned parties there are and how many are organized next door in Iraq, in which Iran has been meddling since we toppled Saddam.
Zara, you seem to know a lot about it. I like reading your comments.
For now we wait. If a widespread strike occurs or otherwise the middle class joins in this revolt, then we will be witnessing something historic. What that means for Iran I don’t know. I am not concerned about any separatist movements in Iran or the Mullahs but rather the potential for a destructive civil war. Theocracy or not, most of the religious authorities take their religion and spirituality seriously…they would stand aside rather than see people butchered merely to stay in power. Most concerning is the Revolutionary Guard because it owns a big chunk of the Iranian economy and infrastructure and I cannot see them giving up that power and wealth easily.
The next day, President Trump tweeted that the “Many reports of peaceful protests by Iranian citizens fed up with regime’s corruption & its squandering of the nation’s wealth to fund terrorism abroad. Iranian govt should respect their people’s rights, including right to express themselves,”
Sounds like USSA