19 Mar 2024
Friday 5 January 2018 - 17:47
Story Code : 288878

It's Over: How protests began and ended in Iran



Sputnik News- The Iranian authorities announced that anti-government protests, which hit the country in recent days, have ended.




Since December 28, Iran has faced its largest protests innearly a decade. The demonstrations started inresponse toa surge infuel and food prices and high rates ofunemployment, inflation and air pollution. At least 20 people have reportedly been killed inthe nationwide protests, and 450 people have been detained, according tomedia reports.

The official figures said that about15,000 people participated inthe protests insuch cities asTehran, Mashhad, Isfahan and Rasht. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Monday that the unrest had been provoked bythe combination ofexisting domestic problems and outsideinfluence.

'Riot Has Failed'

Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander ofIran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said onWednesday that the riot had failed and the protesters had not reached their goals.
"I announce that the riot of1396 [year according toIranian calendar] has failed The number ofprotesters was small and it did not exceed 15,000 people acrossIran," Jafari said asquoted bythe IRGC information portal.


The official added that Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United States had ordered the militants fromDaesh toenter the Iranian territory inorder tocarry outsubversive activities.

Iran's UN Envoy Accuses US ofSupporting Protests

On Wednesday, Gholam Ali Khoshroo, Iran's permanent representative tothe United Nations, sent a letter toUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, inwhich the Iranian diplomat accused Washington ofinterfering intothe Iranian domestic policy throughthe support ofanti-government rallies.
"In the pastseveral days, the US administration, led bythe US president, has stepped upits acts ofintervention ina grotesque way inIrans internal affairs underthe pretext ofproviding support forsporadic protests, which inseveral instances were hijacked byinfiltrators toinclude acts ofsenseless homicide," Khoshroo said inthe letter, asquoted bythe Tasnim news agency onThursday.


The permanent representative added that the US activities violate the international law and the UN charter.

The diplomat noted that Iran's constitution guarantees the citizens' right toprotest.

"As inall other democracies, the Government ofthe Islamic Republic ofIran is determined toprotect this right aswell asthe safety and security ofits citizens againstacts ofviolence and destruction," the letter said.

The envoy expressed hope that the other countries would condemn the US policy and would call onWashington toabide byinternational law.

Pro-Government Rally

The public events held bypeople criticizing the country's authorities were not the only rallies held acrossthe nation. On Thursday, several thousands ofIranians, who support the government, gathered inthe western city ofHamadan, according tothe Mehr news agency. The outlet added that people participating inthe event held the national flags and portraits ofRouhani and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian supreme leader, and chanted slogans insupport ofthe government and police.

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