This Monday, the streets of Tehran, the capital of Iran, witnessed a massive demonstration in support of the government. Iranian state television broadcast images of the crowd gathering at the city's Enghelab Square. The state media portrayed this rally as a 'popular uprising against American-Zionist terrorism by the Iranian people.' However, there was no mention of the dissension fueled by the country's poor economic situation and rising inflation, which had sparked protests nationwide two weeks earlier.
State TV showcased similar demonstrations not only in Tehran but in other parts of the country as well. Through these broadcasts, the government attempted to convey that it had regained control over the recent protests. Earlier on Monday, Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, also asserted that conditions were now fully under control.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated, "Despite their reemergence from the first day of January, these protests have assumed a new form." He alleged the involvement of armed elements in these demonstrations. Araqchi remarked, "Among the protesters were armed individuals, who not only targeted our security forces and police but, more alarmingly, were indiscriminately targeting civilians."
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Araqchi referenced statements made by U.S. President Donald Trump, noting, "President Trump warned that if lives were lost, they would intervene." The Foreign Minister accused that following Trump's remarks, disruptive elements deliberately tried to escalate the death toll to provoke U.S. intervention.
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Iran's Protests Under Control!
The Iranian Foreign Minister further stated, "From January 10 until today, we've entered a phase where the situation is under control." The government maintains that security conditions are now stable, and order has been restored in the country. However, according to rights groups, the recent unrest has resulted in the deaths of hundreds and thousands of arrests. Despite this, the government continues to assert that conditions are firmly under its control.
