Iran’s protests have entered their sixth day with mounting violence and clashes, as death tolls continue to mount. At least nine Iranians were reported killed overnight on Monday in Isfahan Province, which has seen some of the highest violence.
This brings the overall death toll of the protests to at least 23 killed, the vast majority of which were killed over the past 48 hours, as the violence has soared, and rallies increasingly involve raids of police stations.
The protests began, now nearly a week ago, as economic ones, with Iranians expressing growing disquiet about the rising inflation and unemployment rates in the country, having expected the nuclear deal and removal of sanctions to create more immediate economic opportunities.
Violent crackdowns on these rallies quickly turned things political, and even as moderate reformists like President Rouhani sought to defend the right for peaceful protest, security forces seemed to be more aggressive in crackdowns.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has increasingly sought to present the protests as the result of foreign enemies trying to foment unrest, saying they are using “money, weapons, politics, and security apparatus” to create problems in Iran.
Technology seen before. They have stashed weapons snd other supplies throughout tha country. Apartments, warehouses, farms, fake business fronts, etc. There is however not enough natives to believe and go along with the politics these agitators push. They sre trying to engage people with social justice narrative, but the call for getting regime change going has no appeal outside the Gucci North Teheran crowd. It is Rouhani the reformer that failed. Public voted for him, and put him in office again. He cannot blame Khameini for his neolib economic reforms that undermined Ahmedinejad’s support for the poor. Rouhani in trying to please US corporations misjudged the inpact of reforms on the economy, especially as US never fulfilled its obligations under the deal. So, here they are — reforms and cuts, but no sanctions lifted.
MoonofA ‘s latest overview indicates the protests are actually decreasing. The riots are very violent but they’re not getting any support.
Apart from support from the outside then . Hi there D’Andrea!
MeK thugs and a few street gangs is what it looks like.
I thought the MEK’s reputation was that they were as good as useless. I wouldn’t stop looking there.There is a report about Iranian Kurds killing Iranian intelligence people somewhere.